Editing Dusky Sound (section)

==Geography==

One of the most complex of the many fiords on this coast, it is also the largest at 40 kilometres in length and eight kilometres wide at its widest point. To the north of its mouth is the large [[Resolution Island, New Zealand|Resolution Island]], whose Five Fingers Peninsula shelters the mouth of the sound from the northwest; along the east coast of the island, [[Acheron Passage]] connects Dusky Sound with [[Breaksea Sound]], to the north.

Several large islands lie in the sound, notably [[Anchor Island]], [[Long Island, Southland|Long Island]], and [[Cooper Island (New Zealand)|Cooper Island]]. The upper reaches of the sound are steep-sided, and the high precipitation of the region leads to hundreds of waterfalls cascading into the sound during the rainy season. [[Pinniped|Seal]]s and [[dolphin]]s are often sighted in the sound's waters and occasionally visited by [[whale]]s where the area especially nearby [[Preservation Inlet]] was one of earliest shore-based whaling ground for [[southern right whale]]s, while [[humpback whale]]s show sudden increases.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fmg.org.nz/content/humpback-whale-migration-0 |title=The Humpback Whale Migration |access-date=2017-02-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716130520/http://www.fmg.org.nz/content/humpback-whale-migration-0 |archive-date=2016-07-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2016/12/13/whale-tales-from-dusky-sound-nice-smile-pity-about-the-breath/ Whale tales from Dusky Sound: Nice smile, pity about the breath!]</ref> The Seaforth River is the largest of many small rivers and creeks which flow into the sound.

At its mouth, the sound is wide, and is bordered by the Five Fingers Peninsula to the north and by South Cape and Fannin Bay in the south. The south Island's westernmost point, [[West Cape]] lies less than 10 kilometres south of the sound's mouth. Immediately inside the sound's mouth lies the large [[Anchor Island]] and numerous small islets, among them the Seal, Petrel, and Many Island groups. To the north of Anchor Island lies [[Resolution Island, New Zealand|Resolution Island]], and here its coast in indented by a large triangular cove which separates the Five Fingers Peninsula from the rest of the island. A number of small coves punctuate this coast, including Goose Cove and Earshell Cove. Immediately to the southeast of Anchor Island lies the smaller [[Indian Island (New Zealand)|Indian Island]].

To the east of Anchor Island, the sound narrows to about five kilometres and splits into two broad channels, separated by the aptly named [[Long Island (Southland)|Long Island]], which stretches for some 15 kilometres in length but is only around 2000 metres wide at its widest point. The narrower of the two channels, Cook Channel, lies to the south of Long Island; Bowen Channel lies to the north. Bowen Channel links with Acheron Passage, a north–south channel which separates Resolution Island from the mainland and links with Breaksea Sound to the north.

Inland from Long Island lies [[Cooper Island (New Zealand)|Cooper Island]], about eight kilometres long and up to five kilometres wide. Dusky Sound narrows to the east of Cooper Island, reaching its end in two small coves, Shark Cove and Supper Cove. The [[Seaforth River]] flows into the eastern end of Supper Cove.

===Important Bird Area===
[[File:Fiordland penguin (Mattern).jpg|thumb|left|The sound is an important breeding site for Fiordland penguins.]]

The sound has been identified as an [[Important Bird Area]] by [[BirdLife International]] because it is a breeding site for [[Fiordland penguin]]s.<ref>BirdLife International. (2012). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Dusky Sound. Downloaded from {{cite web |url=http://www.birdlife.org |title=BirdLife International - conserving the world's birds |access-date=2012-12-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070710124603/http://www.birdlife.org/ |archive-date=2007-07-10 }} on 2012-02-18.</ref>