Milford Sound Wildlife: Dolphins, Seals and the Fiordland Ecosystem
Fiordland is one of the most biodiverse marine environments in New Zealand. The unique freshwater lens over the saltwater fiord allows deep-ocean species to thrive near the surface. A resident bottlenose dolphin pod, fur seal colonies and rare penguins share these waters.
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Resident Bottlenose Dolphins
A pod of bottlenose dolphins has made Milford Sound their permanent home, and they regularly play in the bow waves of cruise boats. Encountering them is almost guaranteed and always exciting.
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New Zealand Fur Seals
Several seal colonies occupy the rocky outcrops within the fiord. The seals are relaxed around boats and kayaks and can be observed lounging, grooming and occasionally quarreling at close range.
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Fiordland Crested Penguin
The rarest penguin in New Zealand breeds in the coastal forests of Fiordland. Sightings require patience and luck, usually at dawn near the forest edge where the birds enter and exit the water.
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Black Coral Forests
Below the freshwater lens, black coral trees grow in water as shallow as 10 meters, normally only found at hundreds of meters depth. The underwater observatory reveals these extraordinary organisms.
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Fiordland Marine Conservation Zone
The marine reserve status of Milford Sound protects its ecosystems from fishing and anchoring. The result is exceptional visibility, abundant fish life and intact coral gardens.
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Birdlife
The beech forests and granite bluffs surrounding the fiord support tui, bellbirds, kaka and the mischievous kea. The sound of bellbirds at dawn in Fiordland is one of New Zealand's most beautiful natural soundtracks.