Georges Bay is the long, sheltered tidal lagoon at the mouth of which St Helens sits. The bay is around 8 km long and protected from the open sea by a narrow sand spit; the entrance, called the Barway, can be tricky for boats in heavy weather.
For visitors, the bay is the source of most of the local seafood (oysters from the leases on the eastern side, flathead and bream on the flats), good flat-water kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding, and easy walks along the foreshore between town and Humbug Point.