Doubtful Sound / Patea

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Doubtful Sound / Patea
Patea (Māori)
Doubtful Sound Clear.jpg
Doubtful Sound on a clear day
NZ Fiordland relief location map.svg
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Doubtful Sound / Patea
Location of Doubtful Sound / Patea in New Zealand
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Doubtful Sound / Patea
Doubtful Sound / Patea (New Zealand)
Location Fiordland
Coordinates 45°19′S166°59′E / 45.317°S 166.983°E / -45.317; 166.983
Part of Tasman Sea
River sources Elizabeth River
Basin  countriesNew Zealand
Max. length40 kilometres (25 mi)
Max. width2 kilometres (1.2 mi)
Islands Bauza Island, Elizabeth Island
Typical weather in Doubtful Sound DoubtfulSound-TypicalScenery.jpg
Typical weather in Doubtful Sound

Doubtful Sound / Patea is a fiord in Fiordland, in the far south west of New Zealand. It is located in the same region as the smaller but more famous and accessible Milford Sound / Piopiotahi. It took second place after Milford Sound as New Zealand's most famous tourism destination. [1]

Contents

At 40 kilometres (25 mi) long, Doubtful Sound / Patea is the second longest, and with a depth of up to 421 metres (1,381 ft) the deepest of the South Island's fiords. [2] In comparison with Milford Sound, it is more widespread, with the cliffs not as dramatically tall and near vertical. However, the U-shaped profile of the fiord is obvious, in particular on the two innermost of the main fiord's arms and the hanging side valleys along the main fiord.

Like most of Fiordland, Doubtful Sound receives a high amount of rainfall, ranging from an annual average of 3,000–6,000 millimetres (120–240 in). [3] The vegetation on the mountainous landscape surrounding the fiord is dense native rainforest.

History

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. [4] It was later renamed Doubtful Sound by whalers and sealers, although it is not technically a sound but a fiord.

A Spanish scientific expedition commanded by Alessandro Malaspina visited Doubtful Sound in February 1793 to conduct experiments measuring the force of gravity using a pendulum, a part of the effort to establish a new metric system. [5] The officers of the expedition, which included Felipe Bauzá y Cañas, a cartographer, [6] also made the first chart of the entrance and lower parts of the Sound, naming features of it. Today these form a unique cluster containing most of the Spanish names on the map of New Zealand: Febrero Point, Bauza Island and the Nee Islets, Pendulo Reach, and Malaspina Reach. [7]

Following the passage of the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998, the name of the fiord was officially altered to Doubtful Sound / Patea. [8]

Geography

Simple map of the Doubtful Sound complex of fiords and islands Map of Doubtful Sound Complex.png
Simple map of the Doubtful Sound complex of fiords and islands

Doubtful Sound lies deep within the Fiordland National Park, about 50 kilometres (31 mi) 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 mi) in either direction.

There are three distinct arms to the sound, which all extend to the south from the main fiord. From the major conflux of water just south of Secretary Island, these arms are:

  1. First Arm, the shortest at 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) long,
  2. Crooked Arm, roughly halfway along the sound and the longest at 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) long,
  3. Hall Arm (8 kilometres (5.0 mi) long), which branches off from the Sound's terminus at Deep Cove next to the prominent Commander Peak. [9]

Crooked Arm reaches to within 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) of Te Rā / Dagg Sound, [10] almost cutting off a landmass of about 195 square kilometres (75 sq mi). [11]

The Sound is the site of several large waterfalls, notably Helena Falls at Deep Cove and the Browne Falls, which have a fall of over 600 metres (2,000 ft). The steep hills surrounding the main fiord and its arms are known for their hundreds of waterfalls during the rainy season.

Doubtful Sound contains about a dozen smaller islands, with the more notable ones being Elizabeth Island, Fergusson Island, [12] Bauza Island, and the Shelter Islands. [13] Parts of the sound on the west side of Elizabeth Island are protected by the Taipari Roa (Elizabeth Island) Marine Reserve.

Doubtful Sound's Shelter Islands Shelter Is b.jpg
Doubtful Sound's Shelter Islands

The last quarter of the sound closest to the sea is dominated by islands, the major one being Secretary Island to the north. At the southernmost tip of the island, Doubtful Sound opens up as a confluence of 5 bodies of water. From the western seaward end and going clockwise, these are:

  1. Seaward end of Doubtful Sound, often referred to as "The Gut"
  2. Te Awa-o-Tū / Thompson Sound
  3. Kaikiekie / Bradshaw Sound
  4. Continuation of Doubtful Sound to Deep Cove (Malaspina Reach [14] )
  5. First Arm

The narrow, shallower area of the sound between Bauza Island and Secretary Island ("The Gut") offers more shelter than areas further to the west and towards the sea. It is a popular fishing and mooring location and is a haven for crayfish.

Thompson Sound and Bradshaw Sound join in a short stretch named "Pendulo Reach" [15] southeast of Secretary Island, and containing the tiny Seymour Island. [16]

Access to the sound is either by sea or via the isolated Wilmot Pass road from the Manapouri Power Station. Most areas of the sound itself are accessible only by sea, however, as the road network in this area of New Zealand is sparse or nonexistent, as is the human population.

Charles John Lyttelton, 10th Viscount Cobham, 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."

Flora and fauna

An example of a black coral found at a depth of 15 metres (50 ft) in "the gut" area of the sound, complete with a snake star. Black coral and seastar.jpg
An example of a black coral found at a depth of 15 metres (50 ft) in "the gut" area of the sound, complete with a snake star.

Doubtful Sound (like many of the fiords in the area) is unusual in that it contains two distinct layers of water that scarcely mix. The surface layer 2–10 metres (5–35 ft), referred to as the Low Salinity Layer or LSL, consists of diluted seawater with a typical salinity value of less than 10 psu. This layer receives fresh water fed from the high inflows from the surrounding mountains, and stained brown with tannins from the forest. The outflow of freshwater from the tailrace discharge from the Manapouri Power Station also influences the thickness of the LSL. Below the LSL is a layer of warmer, undiluted seawater with a salinity value of around 35 psu. [17] 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. [18] Such species include black coral Antipathes fiordensis, [19] 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 and is within the range of qualified recreational divers.

The catchment basin of Doubtful Sound is generally steep terrain that is heavily forested except for locations where surface rock exposures are extensive. Nothofagus trees are dominant in many locations. In the understory there are a wide variety of shrubs and ferns, including the crown fern, Blechnum discolor . [20]

The fiord is home to one of the southernmost populations of bottlenose dolphins. The Doubtful Sound bottlenoses have formed a very insular subgroup of only about 70 individuals, with none having been observed to leave or enter the Sound during a multi-year monitoring regime. Their social grouping is thus extremely close, which is also partly attributed to the difficult and unusual features of their habitat, which is much colder than the habitats of other bottlenose groups and is also overlaid by the freshwater layer. [21] Recently (2000s), there has been growing concern that the population is in significant decline, with calf survival rates having halved, as well as being noticeably lower than in captivity or in other New Zealand environments. The reasons for this are unclear, though increased tourism and the fresh-water discharge from the Manapouri Power Station (see Hydroelectricity section below) are considered potential causes. [18]

Other wildlife to be found in Doubtful Sound includes fur seals and penguins, or even large whales. [22] Southern right whales and humpback whales are the most frequently seen especially the later. [23] [24] Others include minke whale, sperm whale and some giant beaked whales [25] ). Orcas (killer whales) and long-finned pilot whales can be found also. The waters of Doubtful Sound are also home to an abundance of sea creatures, including many species of fish, starfish, sea anemones, and corals. It is perhaps best known for its black coral trees which occur in unusually shallow water for what is normally a deep-water species. The sound has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because it is a breeding site for Fiordland penguins. [26] Secretary Island and Bauza Island are some of the most important sanctuaries in New Zealand for critically endangered birds.

Hydroelectricity

Deep Cove, below Wilmot Pass - the outlet from the Manapouri Hydro Power Station is in the center Deep Cove in Doubtful Sound in front of Wilmot Pass.jpg
Deep Cove, below Wilmot Pass – the outlet from the Manapouri Hydro Power Station is in the center

Deep Cove ( 45°27′S167°09′E / 45.450°S 167.150°E / -45.450; 167.150 ), the innermost end of Doubtful Sound, is the site of discharge of water from the Manapouri Power Station's tailrace tunnels. Deep Cove, like the rest of Fiordland, is a unique and mostly pristine environment. The discharge of clear fresh water has affected fauna and flora by letting light into the lower layers of the sound. [18] Nevertheless, this is an area naturally high in fresh water inflows (7.6 metres (24 ft 11 in) of rain falls annually).

The small wharf at Deep Cove is on rare occasion also used to unload any equipment for the Manapouri Power Station that is too large to be ferried across Lake Manapouri. From Deep Cove, such equipment then has to be hauled over Wilmot Pass to the power station. [27]

Tourism

Tall tour boat dwarfed even by one of the smaller islands in Doubtful Sound Fergusson Island in Doubtful Sound.jpg
Tall tour boat dwarfed even by one of the smaller islands in Doubtful Sound

Unlike the more easily accessible Milford Sound, it is not possible to drive to Doubtful Sound, as the Wilmot Pass road is not connected to the road network and only connects the Manapouri Hydro Power Station with Deep Cove.

The only options for visitors to visit Doubtful Sound are boat cruises. The less common way to access Doubtful Sound is by sea. However, there are some boat cruises that operate out of the small town of Manapouri. These day trips first take a boat across Lake Manapouri and then a bus on the gravel road across Wilmot Pass to the Sound, where the Doubtful Sound tour boats berth at a small wharf in Deep Cove. The tour companies offer a day option out of Te Anau/Manapouri or an overnight option.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milford Sound</span> Fiord in the southwest of New Zealands South Island

Milford Sound is a fiord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island within Fiordland National Park, Piopiotahi Marine Reserve, and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. It has been judged the world's top travel destination in an international survey and is acclaimed as New Zealand's most famous tourist destination. Rudyard Kipling called it the eighth Wonder of the World. The fiord is most commonly accessed via road by tour coach, with the road terminating at a small village also called Milford Sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiordland</span> Geographical region of New Zealand

Fiordland is a geographical region of New Zealand in the south-western corner of the South Island, comprising the westernmost third of Southland. Most of Fiordland is dominated by the steep sides of the snow-capped Southern Alps, deep lakes, and its steep, glacier-carved and now ocean-flooded western valleys. The name "Fiordland" comes from a variant spelling of the Scandinavian word for this type of steep valley, "fjord". The area of Fiordland is dominated by, and very roughly coterminous with, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand's largest National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiordland National Park</span> National park on South Island of New Zealand

Fiordland National Park occupies the southwest corner of the South Island of New Zealand. It is by far the largest of the 13 national parks in New Zealand, with an area of 12,607 square kilometres (4,868 sq mi), and a major part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Site. The park is administered by the Department of Conservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manapouri Power Station</span> Dam in Fiordland National Park, Southland

Manapōuri Power Station is an underground hydroelectric power station on the western arm of Lake Manapouri in Fiordland National Park, in the South Island of New Zealand. At 854 MW installed capacity, it is the largest hydroelectric power station in New Zealand, and the second largest power station in New Zealand. The station is noted for the controversy and environmental protests by the Save Manapouri Campaign against raising the level of Lake Manapouri to increase the station's hydraulic head, which galvanised New Zealanders and was one of the foundations of the New Zealand environmental movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Manapouri</span> Lake in Southland Region, New Zealand

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manapouri</span> Town in Fiordland, New Zealand

Manapouri is a small town in Southland / Fiordland, in the southwest corner of the South Island, in New Zealand. The township is the westernmost municipality in New Zealand. Located at the edge of the Fiordland National Park, on the eastern shore of Lake Manapouri, close to its outflow into the Waiau River, tourist boat services are based in the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waiau River (Southland)</span> River in New Zealand

The Waiau River is the largest river in the Southland region of New Zealand. 'Waiau' translates to 'River of Swirling Currents'. It is the outflow of Lake Te Anau, flowing from it into Lake Manapouri 10 kilometres (6 mi) to the south, and from there flows south for 70 kilometres (43 mi) before reaching the Foveaux Strait 8 kilometres (5 mi) south of Tuatapere. It also takes water from Lake Monowai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secretary Island</span> Island in southwestern New Zealand

Secretary Island is an island in southwestern New Zealand, lying entirely within Fiordland National Park. Roughly triangular in shape, it lies between Doubtful Sound / Patea in the south and Te Awa-o-Tū / Thompson Sound in the north, with its west coast facing the Tasman Sea. To the east of the island, Pendulo Reach connects Te Awa-o-Tū / Thompson Sound with Doubtful Sound / Patea. Steeply sloped, the entirely bush-clad island rises to a chain of several peaks higher than 1000 metres. The highest of these is the 1,196-metre (3,924 ft) Mount Grono, the highest peak in the main New Zealand chain not located in the North or South Island. The island also contains three lakes. The largest, Secretary Lake, over 600 metres (2,000 ft) long, is located beneath Mount Grono at an altitude of 550 metres (1,800 ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rakituma / Preservation Inlet</span> Fiord in the South Island of New Zealand

Rakituma / Preservation Inlet is the southernmost fiord in Fiordland National Park and lies on the southwest corner of the South Island of New Zealand. With an area of 93 square kilometres (36 sq mi), it is the fourth largest fiord in New Zealand, after Tamatea / Dusky Sound, Doubtful Sound / Patea, and the neighbouring Taiari / Chalky Inlet to the north. Rakituma was briefly the site of an attempted fishing and gold mining settlement at Cromarty during the 19th century, however this was quickly abandoned once the level of gold declined in relation to more promising fields elsewhere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deep Cove (New Zealand)</span> Cove in New Zealand

Deep Cove is an arm of Doubtful Sound, a deep indentation in the southwest coast of New Zealand's South Island. Along with the Hall Arm, which lies to the southwest of Deep Cove, it forms one of the two most remote parts of the sound from the Tasman Sea, with its mouth being 32 kilometres (20 mi) from the mouth of Doubtful Sound. Elizabeth Island lies close to the junction of Deep Cove and the Hall Arm. Deep Cove by itself is about four kilometres long and is home to several waterfalls, including Helena Falls and Lady Alice Falls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilmot Pass</span>

The Wilmot Pass is a 671 m (2,201 ft) high pass on the main divide of New Zealand's South Island. It connects Doubtful Sound, a deep indentation in the coast of Fiordland, to the valley of the West Arm of Lake Manapouri. The pass is named after E. H. Wilmot, a former surveyor-general of New Zealand, who had noted it while surveying the area in 1897. It lies between Mount Wilmot and Mount Mainwaring. On the east side the Spey River drains to Lake Manapouri and on the west side the Lyvia River drains to Deep Cove.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Island (New Zealand)</span>

Elizabeth Island is the largest island in the inner Doubtful Sound, in Fiordland National Park, in New Zealand's South Island. It was created during the last glaciation, its narrow long shape aligned with the direction of the fiord. The island is uninhabited and entirely covered in dense native bush.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bauza Island</span>

Bauza Island lies immediately south of the much larger Secretary Island in the outer reaches of Doubtful Sound / Patea, in Fiordland National Park on New Zealand's South Island. The less than one kilometre wide Patea passage to the south of the island is the main entrance to Doubtful Sound. To the north, the island is separated from Secretary Island by the narrow Te Awaatu Channel, also referred to as "The Gut", only 200 metres (660 ft) wide at its narrowest point. The waters between the two islands are protected by the Te Awaatu Channel Marine Reserve. Doubtful Sound tour boats routinely travel through this channel.

Thompson Sound is a fiord of the South Island of New Zealand. It is one of the fiords that form the coast of Fiordland.

Hinenui / Nancy Sound is a fiord on the South Island of New Zealand. It is one of the fiords that form the coast of Fiordland.

Taiari / Chalky Inlet is one of the southernmost fiords in Fiordland, in the southwestern corner of New Zealand's South Island and part of Fiordland National Park. As with the neighbouring fiords of Tamatea / Dusky Sound to the north and Rakituma / Preservation Inlet to the south, Taiari / Chalky Inlet is a complex fiord with many channels and islands along its roughly 28 km (17 mi) length. Most notably, this includes the sections Moana-whenua-pōuri / Edwardson Sound and Te Korowhakaunu / Kanáris Sound, which split at Divide Head in the middle of Taiari and each extend for roughly 10 km (6.2 mi) inland in a V-shape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moana Uta (Wet Jacket Arm) Marine Reserve</span> Marine reserve in New Zealand territorial waters

Moana Uta Marine Reserve is a marine reserve covering the entire length of Wet Jacket Arm in Fiordland on New Zealand's South Island, an area of 2,007 hectares. It was established in 2005 and is administered by the Department of Conservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piopiotahi (Milford Sound) Marine Reserve</span>

Piopiotahi Marine Reserve is a marine reserve covering an area of 690 hectares in the Milford Sound / Piopiotahi, in Fiordland on New Zealand's South Island. It was established in 1993 and is administered by the Department of Conservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taipari Roa (Elizabeth Island) Marine Reserve</span> Marine reserve in New Zealand territorial waters

Taipari Roa Marine Reserve is a marine reserve covering an area of 613 hectares around Elizabeth Island, in the inner Doubtful Sound / Patea of Fiordland on New Zealand's South Island. It was established in 2005 and is administered by the Department of Conservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Te Awaatu Channel (The Gut) Marine Reserve</span>

Te Awaatu Channel Marine Reserve is a marine reserve covering an area of 93 hectares in Fiordland on New Zealand's South Island. It was established in 1993 and is administered by the Department of Conservation.

References

  1. ↑ Real Journeys rapt with Kiwi Must-Do's – Scoop Independent News, Tuesday 13 February 2007
  2. ↑ "Doubtful Sound, New Zealand". Tourism New Zealand . Retrieved 2017-09-01.
  3. ↑ "Southland Climate" (PDF). National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. p. 16. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
  4. ↑ Cook's Voyages (from Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Accessed 2008-09-12.)
  5. ↑ "Puerto del Pendulo, Doubtful Sound: The Malaspina Expedition's Visit to New Zealand in Quest of the True Figure of the Earth", The Globe, no.65, 2010, pp.1–18. Downloadable at: http://search.informit.com.au
  6. ↑ Doubtful Sound (from Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Accessed 2008-09-12.)
  7. ↑ Science and Spycraft: The Malaspina Expedition in New Zealand and New South Wales, 1793 Archived June 2, 2008, at the Wayback Machine – Robert J. King, via Mains’l Haul, A Journal of Pacific Maritime History, San Diego, Vol 41 No. 4 & 42, No. 1, Fall/Winter 2006, Pages 76–87
  8. ↑ "Ngai Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998" . Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  9. ↑ "Commander Peak, Southland – NZ Topo Map". NZ Topo Map. Land Information New Zealand . Retrieved 2017-09-01.
  10. ↑ "Dagg Sound, Southland – NZ Topo Map". NZ Topo Map. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
  11. ↑ "Narrow Neck, Southland – NZ Topo Map". NZ Topo Map. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
  12. ↑ "Fergusson Island, Southland – NZ Topo Map". NZ Topo Map. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
  13. ↑ "Shelter Islands, Southland – NZ Topo Map". NZ Topo Map. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
  14. ↑ "Malaspina Reach, Southland – NZ Topo Map". NZ Topo Map. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
  15. ↑ "Pendulo Reach, Southland – NZ Topo Map". NZ Topo Map. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
  16. ↑ "Seymour Island, Southland – NZ Topo Map". NZ Topo Map. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
  17. ↑ McCully, D R; Vennell, R; Mladenov, P V (1994). "Hydrology of a New Zealand fiord". Recent Advances in Marine Science and Technology: 263–271.
  18. 1 2 3 A Doubtful future Archived 2008-10-15 at the Wayback Machine – New Zealand Listener , 27 September 2008
  19. ↑ Grange, K R (1990). "Antipathes fiordensis, a new species of black coral (Coelenterata: Antipatharia) from New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 17 (2): 279–282. doi: 10.1080/03014223.1990.10422603 .
  20. ↑ C. Michael Hogan. 2009. Crown Fern: Blechnum discolor, Globaltwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg Archived February 13, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  21. ↑ Bottlenose dolphins (from Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Accessed 2008-09-12.)
  22. ↑ http://www.backpackersnews.co.nz/index.php?page=whale-sightings-up/%5B%5D
  23. ↑ "A whale watcher's dream". 13 November 2015.
  24. ↑ "The Humpback Whale Migration | Fiordland Marine Guardians". Archived from the original on 2016-07-16. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
  25. ↑ "Fiordland Kindergarten: Whales at Doubtful Sound". Archived from the original on 2014-05-04. Retrieved 2010-03-06.
  26. ↑ BirdLife International. (2012). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Doubtful Sound. Downloaded from "BirdLife International - conserving the world's birds". Archived from the original on 2007-07-10. Retrieved 2013-04-20. on 2012-02-18.
  27. ↑ Brittany Pickett (23 December 2014). "New transformers for Manapouri station". The Southland Times . Retrieved 2016-11-07.
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