List of lagoons of South Africa, A lagoon is a body of comparatively shallow salt or brackish water separated from the deeper sea by a shallow or exposed barrier beach, sandbank of marine origin, coral reef, or similar feature. Lagoon refers to both coastal lagoons formed by the build-up of sandbanks or reefs along shallow coastal waters, and the lagoons in atolls, formed by the growth of coral reefs on slowly sinking central islands. Lagoons that are fed by freshwater streams are also called estuaries. Following this, not all named Lagoons are therefore true.