Dusky Sound Cruises

Dusky Sound is part of the beautiful natural wonder that is the Fiordland National Park in the southwest of New Zealand. It is 40km long and 8km wide, making Dusky Sound the largest of the fourteen fiords in the region.

Dusky Sound is almost impossible to reach by land, so cruising along it is the best way to discover this wildlife paradise. The fiord is home to several large islands, such as:

• Resolution Island
• Anchor Island
• Long Island
• Cooper Island

The Best Time to Cruise to Dusky Sound

The weather in the whole of the Fiordland National Park is unpredictable, it can snow, rain and hail at any time of the year, the temperatures can also go down suddenly. Setting out on a cruise around the region, you should be prepared for all kinds of weather.

Generally speaking, the summer months of January and February offer the warmest days with an average of 10-18℃.

Things to Do in Dusky Sound

Dusky Sound is a gem for nature lovers, the fiord is home to rare and exotic wildlife, spectacular landscapes and native plants.

Here are some of the highlights you can expect:

• Admire forests, mountains and wetlands when you cruise past the largest island in the national park – Resolution Island.
• Be on a constant look out for the yellow eyebrows of the endangered Crested Fiordland penguins, fur seals, mottled petrels and other amazing wildlife that calls Dusky Sound home.
• Visit Astronomer’s Point, the observatory set up by Captain Cook and his crew, where New Zealand was so accurately located on the globe.

Top Cruise Lines

Not all cruise lines that offer Fiordland National Park cruises include Dusky Sound in their itineraries, as it is quite remote and not easy to reach. Here are some great cruise lines that do:

• Celebrity cruises to Dusky Sound
• Norwegian cruises to Dusky Sound
• Ponant cruises to Dusky Sound