Doubtful Sound / Patea is a very large and naturally
imposing fiord which takes second place after Milford Sound as New Zealand's
most famous tourism destination.
At 42 kilometres (26 mi) long, Doubtful Sound is the
longest, and with a depth of up to 421 metres (1,381 ft) also the deepest of
the South Island's fiords. In comparison
with Milford Sound, it is more widespread, with the cliffs not as dramatically
tall and near vertical.
Like most of Fiordland, Doubtful Sound receives a high
amount of rainfall, ranging from an annual average of 3 to 6 metres (10 to 20
feet). The vegetation on the mountainous
landscape surrounding the fiord is dense native rainforest.
Doubtful Sound was
named 'Doubtful Harbour' in 1770 by Captain Cook, who did not enter the inlet
as he was uncertain whether it was navigable under sail. It was later renamed Doubtful Sound by
whalers and sealers.
Doubtful Sound lies deep within the Fiordland National Park, about 50
kilometres (31 miles) from the nearest inhabited place, the small town
of Manapouri,
and is surrounded by mountainous terrain with peaks typically reaching
1,300–1,600 metres (4,300–5,200 ft). Along the coast, there are no
settlements for about 200 kilometres (120 miles) in either direction.
Doubtful Sound on a clear day |
Charles Lyttleton, Governor-General of New Zealand
(1957-1962) wrote about this part of Fiordland:
"There are just a
few areas left in the world where no human has ever set foot. That one of them
should be in a country so civilized and so advanced as New Zealand may seem
incredible, unless one has visited the south-west corner of the South Island.
Jagged razor backed mountains rear their heads into the sky. More than 200 days
of rain a year ensure not a tree branch is left bare and brown, moss and
epiphytes drape every nook. The forest is intensely green. This is big
country... one day peaceful, a study in green and blue, the next melancholy and
misty, with low cloud veiling the tops... an awesome place, with its granite
precipices, its hanging valleys, its earthquake faults and its thundering
cascades."
Doubtful Sound (like many of the fiords in the area) is
unusual in that it contains two distinct layers of water that scarcely mix.
Depending on rainfall the night before, the top 2–10 metres (5ft – 35 ft)
is fresh water, fed from the high inflows from the surrounding mountains, and
stained brown with tannins from the forest. Below this and partially insulated
by the fresh water above is a layer of warmer, heavy, saline water from
the sea. The dark tannins in the fresh water layer make it difficult for light
to penetrate. Thus, many deep-sea species grow in the comparatively shallow
depths of the Sound. Such species
include black coral, which is normally found at depths of 30–40 metres
(100–130 ft) but can be found at just 10 metres (35 ft) in Doubtful
Sound.
The catchment basin of Doubtful Sound is generally steep
terrain that is heavily forested except for locations where surface rock
exposures are extensive.
Doubtful Sound on a typical day! |
As well as bottlenose dolphins, fur seals, penguins,
right whales and humpback whales, the fiord is also home to minke whales, sperm
whales and even giant beaked whales. Orcas
(killer whales) and long-finned pilot whales can be found too.
The sound has been identified as an Important Bird Area by
Birdlife International because it's a breeding site for Fiordland Penguins. Secretary Island and Bauza Island are some of
the most important sanctuaries in New Zealand for critically endangered birds.
No comments:
Post a Comment