Preservation Inlet
Encyclopedia
Preservation Inlet is the southernmost fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...

 in Fiordland National Park
Fiordland National Park
Fiordland National Park occupies the southwest corner of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest of the 14 national parks in New Zealand, with an area of 12,500 km², and a major part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site...

 and lies on the southwest corner of the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...

 of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

.

Geography

A long narrow fjord extending north-eastwards between Gulches Head to the north and Puysegur Point
Puysegur Point
Puysegur Point is located in the far southwest of the South Island of New Zealand. It lies within Fiordland National Park on the southern head of Preservation Inlet. It lies 145 kilometres west-northwest of Invercargill. It is the site of a lighthouse station now automated but for many years the...

 to the south. Coal Island lies at the entrance. Its innermost arm is known as Long Sound which is the outlet of Long Burn.

A large part of the interior of Preservation Inlet is protected by the Te Tapuwae o Hua (Long Sound) Marine Reserve
Fiordland's marine reserves
There are ten marine reserves in Fiordland region of New Zealand's South Island. They protect a wide variety of species and habitats. The original two reserves were established at the request of New Zealand Federation of Commercial Fishermen in 1993...

.

History

Known to early sealer
Sealer
-See also:*Seal *Sealing...

s and whaler
Whaler
A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...

s, it was named by Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....

 Eber Bunker
Eber Bunker
Eber Bunker was a sea captain and pastoralist, born on 7 March 1761 at Plymouth, Massachusetts. His parents were James Bunker and his wife Hannah, née Shurtleff.-1776-1786: Background:...

 in 1809. The first shore-based whaling station in New Zealand was established here in 1828 or 1829, exploiting Southern Right Whale
Southern Right Whale
The southern right whale is a baleen whale, one of three species classified as right whales belonging to the genus Eubalaena. Like other right whales, the southern right whale is readily distinguished from others by the callosities on its head, a broad back without a dorsal fin, and a long arching...

s in the area. In 1900 a settlement known as Cromarty was established in Kisbee Bay. Intended to take advantage of gold, found in the 1890s, and fishing, it did not last long and few traces of the settlement remain.

Ecology

After a massive exploitation for over years, Southern Right Whale
Southern Right Whale
The southern right whale is a baleen whale, one of three species classified as right whales belonging to the genus Eubalaena. Like other right whales, the southern right whale is readily distinguished from others by the callosities on its head, a broad back without a dorsal fin, and a long arching...

s finally started returning into the inlet. There are anecdotal sightings of Hector's Dolphin
Hector's Dolphin
Hector's dolphin is the best-known of the four dolphins in the genus Cephalorhynchus and is found only in New Zealand. At about 1.4 m in length, it is one of the smallest cetaceans....

s.

Access

No roads reach the coast at this point. However, a tramping track is available from Tuatapere
Tuatapere
Tuatapere is a small rural town in Southland, New Zealand . It is located eight kilometres from the southern coast. The Waiau River flows through the town before reaching Te Waewae Bay, where it has its outflow into Foveaux Strait...

. There is also access to the sound is by sea or air.
http://www.tepukahereka.org.nz
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