Tasman sea

The Tasman Sea (in English: Tasman Sea) is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, between mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania to the west, and the North Island and South Island of New Zealand to the east. The name usually used in Spanish comes from an incorrect translation: its correct name would be the Tasman Sea (Tasman sea and not Tasmania(n) sea in the original), in the same way as Tasman Bay, in New Zealand is not translated as Tasman Bay.

The sea takes its original name from the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, who also discovered Tasmania (which he called Van Diemen's Land) and New Zealand, in the XVII, and not from the island of Tasmania, as would be deduced from the translation that has become widespread.

Later, British explorer James Cook extensively explored the Tasman Sea during the 1770s as part of his first voyage of discovery. The expedition of Alejandro Malaspina also crossed its waters during the year 1793, anchoring in Doubtful Sound (South Island of New Zealand) and in Sydney (Australia).

According to the International Hydrographic Organization, the boundary between the Tasman Sea and the Coral Sea is conventionally established as the continuation of the boundary between the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales.

There are several groups of islands located in the Tasman Sea, off the coast of Australia and New Zealand:

• island of Lord Howe and its subsidiary islands.
• Ball pyramid.
• Norfolk Island, at the north end of the sea of Tasmania, right on the border with the sea of the Coral.

Delimitation of the IHO

The highest international authority on sea delimitation, the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), considers the Tasman Sea a sea. In his world reference publication, "Limits of oceans and seas" (Limits of oceans and seas, 3rd edition of 1953), he assigns it the identification number 63 and defines it as follows:

• West.
A line from Gabo Island (close Howe, 37°30'S) to the northeast tip of the East Sister Island (148°E) and from there along the Meridian to the island of Flinders, beyond this island a line that goes east from the banks Vansittart to Barren Island, and from Cape Barren (the easternmost point of the island of Barstone) to the east end
• North.
The 30°S parallel from the coast of Australia to the east to the line that unites the eastern ends of the Elizabeth and South East Rock coral (31°47'S, 159°18'E) and then south along this line to South East Rock.
• In the Northeast.
From South East Rock to the north end of the island of the Three Kings (34°10'S, 172°10'E) and from there to the north end of New Zealand.
• In the East,
In the Cook Strait. A line joining the southern end of the lack of land in Cape Palliser (Ngawi) and Cape Campbell (Te Karaka).
In the Strait of Foveaux (46°45'S). A line linking the Waipapapa tip headlight (168°33'E) with the East Head (47o02'S) of Stewart Island (Rakiura).
• Southeast.
A line that goes from the Southwest Cape of Stewart Island, through the Snares (48oS, 166°30'E) to the Northwest Cape of the island of Auckland (50°30'S, 166°10'E), through this island to its south end.
• South.
A line linking the southern point of the island of Auckland (50°55'S, 166°E) to Cape South East, the southern end of Tasmania.

Limits of oceans and sea, p. 38.

Animal and plant life

A deep-sea research vessel, the RV Tangaroa, explored the sea and found 500 species of fish and 1,300 species of invertebrates. The researchers also found the tooth of a megalodon, an extinct shark.

History

The first telegraph cable connecting Australia and New Zealand was laid in the Tasman Sea in 1876. Moncrieff and Hood were the first to attempt a transatlantic crossing by plane in 1928. The first successful flight over sea was made by Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm that same year. The first person to row solo across the sea was Colin Quincey in 1977. The next solo voyage was completed by his son Shaun Quincey in 2010.