|
|
|
| Milford Sound, Fiordland |  
|
Description:
A unique dive location situated in New Zealand's largest National Park, Fiordland, where high annual rainfall creates a layer of freshwater over the seawater. This tannin-stained freshwater layer filters out the light levels reaching the saltwater below, enabling normally deepwater species to live at much shallower depths for scuba divers to enjoy. | |
| Details: |
 Nearest commercial airport: Queenstown |
| Average watertemp: Min 10 - Max 20 oCelcius. |
| Average visibility: 15 Horizontal metres |
| Bottom composition: Corals, Rocks, Vegetation |
| Dive conditions: Ocean/Sea, Salt water |
| Seasonality: Bottom comp is \'water\' as you\'ll be diving against a wall most of the time. Tawaki Dive is open from 1 October to 30 April each year. Water temp and viz remains quite constant around the year but air temperature is cold during winter. |
|
|
Marinelife in the area:
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | | | Blue sharks |  | |  | | | | | | | | | |  | | Once the water temperature reaches 16C each summer we can often encounter a blue shark in certain parts of the fiord. They just cruise by, checking us out and have never given us any cause for alarm. We have never seen more than one at a time and they appear to be inquisitive but timid.
| | | Bottlenose Dolphins | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Bottlenose dolphins are regularly sighted in Milford Sound but rarely underwater.
| | | Collard carpet sharks | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Coral Spawning |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Black and red corals, normally deepwater species, exist at much shallower depths in the fiords due to the tannin stained freshwater layer that floats on the surface of the fiord, filtering out much of the sunlight. Black coral colonies look much like big white fluffy Christmas trees, a particular on... (More)
| | | Dusky Dolphins | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Occasionally during the summer months a large pod of dusky dolphins will invade the fiord and create havoc with their awesome acrobatic displays and 'cheeky' disposition. They may stay for a few weeks during which time we are unlikely to see any bottlenose dolphins.
| | | Sea lions and fur seals | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Milford Sound has several 'haul-out' areas for the New Zealand fur seals that have been kicked out of the colony - mainly 'teenage' males. Early in the morning as the divers head out, they can be seen in the water returning from their overnight hunting activities. For the remainder of the day they... (More)
| | Probability of encounter:  0%,  0 > 60%,  60 > 90%,  90 > 100%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
