Scuba Diving in Milford Sound

Scuba Diving in Milford Sound

After taking a year-long break from Scuba Diving and missing my certification by one dive; it was time to suit up and take the plunge – literally – back into the cold water. But this time, I wasn’t heading into the dark depths of the Scottish waters, oh no. Instead, I was about to plunge into the waters of Milford Sound. One of the most beautiful places in the world. Scuba Diving in Milford Sound was incredible! Not only because I become a qualified Open Water Diver. The marine life and my experience under the water, was awesome!

Scuba Diving Milford Sound
Time to explore the 8th wonder of the world below the water!

Scuba Diving in Milford Sound is run by an awesome couple, Simone and Lance. Together, these guys are Descend – the only scuba diving company in Milford Sound! In Scotland I began my scuba diving training with BSAC but transferred to PADI to complete training with Descend. Once a refresher in the calm Queenstown Lake was out the way it was time to wrap up, hop on the boat and head into the Fiord.

Meeting at 9am I was handed my thick wetsuit, two wetsuit vests, wetsuit socks, shoes and finally gloves and a hood. Although the water is cold – although, not as cold as Scotland – a wetsuit and multiple layers was enough to keep a comfortable temperature under the water. We hopped on the speed boat; with our tanks and equipment set up it was time to check out the dive sites. I was SO excited to get back in the water!

Scuba Diving in Milford Sound is an incredibly unique experience.

You are diving in one of the wonders of the world – I mean, how many people can say that?! –  and due to the amount of rain in Milford Sound – up to 9 metres a year! – it creates a unique marine life experience.

For a nature nerd – like me! – Scuba Diving in Milford Sound is great! In 1993 it became one of the first marine reserves in Fiordland. Covering 690 hectares, it protects the magnificent life found here. In particular black coral trees (which are actually white!). Normally growing at depths of 100 metres plus, thanks to the legendary large rainfall draining into the fiords mixed with the high mountains blocking light, these beautiful giant corals have migrated to shallower depths. Perfect viewing for us lucky divers!  Not only is Black Coral a rare site to see, scuba diving in Milford Sound offers a chance to see marine life unique to the area. Such as the seven gilled shark!

This was my first dive out of Scotland and I was hoping – but equally not – to see a shark on my dive or at lest to see more life than the occasional starfish.

Taking the plunge, signalling OK and descending down into the depths; I was officially Scuba Diving Milford Sound, exploring a side of this breathtaking landscape most will never see. Crossing from fresh water to salt water was the weirdest sensation. It’s almost as if you begin to look through a camera lens which can’t focus. Everything slowly turns to a blur, but the fish still race around you – occasionally nibbling my suit.

Looking up, it was as if the fresh water above was clouds.

Beautiful swirls of white above and bustling marine life below. Looking down and around me, the wall became alive with beautiful coloured corals, schools of fish and incredible trees of Black Coral!

Simone led the way, watching my skills and assessing me but also – as she knew how much of a nature junkie I am – pointing out the incredible marine life that I would never have spotted myself. Octopus, Nudibranchs, Wrasse, Moki, Moray Eels and the highlight; Seals came out to say hello! Scuba Diving in Milford Sound was blowing me away.

We did two dives in total for the day. Each lasting around thirty to forty-five minutes depending on how much air we used. Each time we came up, Lance would help us back onto the boat and immediately shove chocolate and hot coffee at us – apparently chocolate is good at combating the bends? – not that I complained!

Beautiful Nudibranch clinging to the corals.
Octopus trying to hide… Just after we captured this shot he tried to steal our camera!

Ending the perfect day – not only passing my open water course – by taking a ‘glacial facial’ under the epic Stirling Falls in Milford sound, very refreshing! It was time to head back to shore.

Just as I thought the day couldn’t get better, I saw my first Dolphin in the wild, just as we pulled into Deep Water Basin.

Scuba Diving in Milford Sound need I say again, is incredible and anyone keen to explore the Fiord in a different way. Should get on this! The crew at Descend were fantastic and I couldn’t have asked to get certified in a more epic place.

The Black Coral here are more like trees!

Once you have finished Scuba Diving in Milford Sound you have to spend a night there. It’s against PADI regulations after two dives to head up into altitude. You risk decompression sickness and the bends.

So remember; if you plan to Scuba Dive in Milford Sound, book accommodation or your camping spot in advance. Don’t risk driving back over the Milford Road because you were unorganised. It’s not worth it.


So you’re a keen diver like me, where’s the most epic place you’ve Scuba Dived?

 

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21 thoughts on “Scuba Diving in Milford Sound”

  1. Milford Sound is a beautiful spot to visit. The scenery is lovely and it looks like the diving is pretty amazing too. I like your photo of the nudibranch.

  2. I was about 4 or 5 the only time I ever visited Milford Sound, but it was so amazing I actually remember it – unlike many other details from that era, haha! I’m surprised at the variety of marine life you saw in the Sound – for some reason I thought it’d be too cold for coral!! Although I’m not a diver, I think a trip back there is long overdue 😀

    1. I love that you can remember it from that age!! 🙂 There is so much marine life down there, you wouldn’t think it but honest was my favourite fresh water dive 🙂 You should get back there!

  3. I am fascinated by the black coral. Why is it white?? Is it to do with the fact that it was growing at very low depths and is now more shallow, allowing for light to hit it (photosynthesis, etc)? So interesting 🙂

    1. Not entirely sure why it is so white, i think it’s to do with it normally grows so deep so doesn’t have pigment to offer colour. Grows shallow because of the layer of fresh water on top of the salt which holds so much sediment it makes you think it’s deeper than it is! 🙂

  4. What an amazing world down there! I haven’t done a single scuba diving yet. Feel so sorry for myself. 🙁
    The corals look so dream like!

  5. I have never been scuba diving. That octopus trying to hide looked a little scary. I wouldn’t have realized what it was at first.

    1. Ha he was a little scary! tried to grab the camera from us after getting a little annoyed hehe!

  6. Oh wow, you saw a dolphin while Scuba diving!! I bet that would have been incredible to watch them underwater! Milford Sound has been on my list for a long time but I never thought about Scuba diving – I do have to get my PADI course done first, and then to NZ!

    1. Yeah it was incredible! You should do your open water course there 🙂 I did – obviously – and it was epic!

  7. Black coral trees that are white~ beautiful! All of that color and the coral looks amazing. I don’t know a whole lot about diving, but an hour split into a couple different dives, sounds exhilarating and fun.

    1. Funny name for crystal white coral right? Thet are incredibly gorgeous! We did two dives, one was 40 minutes the other was 30 🙂 Gotta stay within the safe limits 🙂

  8. You should go to the Philippines. It has a several diving sites. Some are Anilao (Batangas), Moalboal (South Cebu), Palawan, Apo Reef, Malapascua (North Cebu where you can see thresher sharks)

    1. Thanks for all the tips! I really want to go to the Philippines <3 Especially to see thresher sharks they are my favourite!

  9. The main reason I love scuba diving is for the adventure, you don’t know what it may happen or what you may find below the water surface. In the past years I’ve taken a lot of pictures which I store in the https://dive.site logbook, along with all my diving logs. It’s cool that I can also search new dive spots or even add my own.

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  11. Pingback: Scuba Diving in the Gili Islands. - Little Wanderlust Stories

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