 A ferry service to Whitianga has served the eastern Mercury Bay area since 1895.A prominent feature of the beach is Mahurangi Island (Goat Island), which lies on the edge of the Te Whanganui-A-Hei (Cathedral Cove) Marine Reserve.The name of the settlement of Hahei is derived from the Māori name for Mercury Bay, "Te-Whanganui-A-Hei", or "The Great Bay of Hei".