Milford Sound Fjord
Milford Sound · New Zealand
Rainwater forms a tannin stained freshwater layer at the surface that filters sunlight — black corals normally found at 100 m grow at 10 m here. Below the freshwater lens, pristine cold water ecosystem with rock lobster, sea pens, and red coral.
Conditions
Depth
10 to 30 m
Open water and up
Current
Usually gentle
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
10 to 20 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
9 to 15°C
Drysuit required
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| Vis (m) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Current | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Black coral
Last confirmed Mar 15, 2026 · 130 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Kea
Last confirmed Jun 14, 2026 · 423 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Weka
Last confirmed Jun 28, 2026 · 258 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Tomtit
Last confirmed May 23, 2026 · 101 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Fiordland Penguin
Last confirmed Mar 15, 2026 · 74 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Eleven-armed sea star
Last confirmed May 29, 2026 · 1 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Red coral
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Rock lobster
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear