Milford Sound Underwater Observatory - Southern Discoveries

Reasonably worthwhile extension to the Milford Sound cruise. Descend 60 steps to view the underwater world and see fish, black coral and that's about it. However, the guy gave a really interesting talk about the geology and glacial process, plus facts about local wildlife.

Small but well created/ maintained floating observatory 10 meters below the lake. We got an opportunity to see various types of fishes, corals etc. The guide was amazing as well informing us about the rich flora and fauna quite unique to milford and how it is preserved. It's worth a visit if you are visiting milford sound.

Pretty cool. Lots of information to read.Take note: It's not an aquarium, it's an observatory so what you see depends on the day, there's no guarantee.

Great cruise and underwater observatory. We managed to see some dolphins on the cruise which was a bonus.The boat itself was nice, was not crowded as we were on the last cruise of the day, has ample seating inside, but only a number of seats outside on the boat we were on.We got complimentary tea and coffee. We also went for the observatory and lunch option, although we weren’t told we had to get our lunch on the boat before we got the observatory which was a bit annoying, however the staff organised for our lunch to be waiting for us back at the start.The observatory was pretty cool, you walk down a spiral staircase to a level underwater with windows all around. Loads of fish and black coral to look at which was nice. We were told that the tour before managed to spot the dolphins!For the cruise, observatory and lunch we paid €80 each which wasn’t too bad.There is plenty of parking there if you choose to drive (and I would recommend this as there are some nice sights to see on the way).

Great stopp off on a Milford sound tour. Glass is quite thick and magnified. Expected to be able to see more but was very cloudy.

Quite small and cold but got to see all sorts, including black coral. What you see depends on the day.

Agreed observatory with lots to see including the black coral and a variety of fish, sea cucumber, starfish, Lots of information about the area, fish, coral and platform at the centre.

Good experience but alot of your viewing might depend on luck and when the fishes come. Please note it is not an aquarium, it is an oberservatory so don't expect to see sharks or massive marine life

The underwater observatory can only be visited as part of a Southern Discoveries cruise as it is only accessible by boat. The best part of the tour is descending a spiral staircase to a set of windows 10 meters below the surface and viewing fish and plant life. We had a very knowledgeable guide who identified everything we could see and provided lots of interesting details. We spent about 25 minutes doing this before going back upstairs and reading information boards while the other half of the group viewed fish. Most of the group reboarded the boat and returned to the ferry terminal. The total time spent at the observatory was about an hour.We booked the additional option of kayaking. We were provided a waterproof jacket, waterproof trousers, a baseball cap and a bouyancy aid. We each had a plastic box where we left anything we didn't want to take with us. There was a small area with a curtain that could be pulled around anyone wishing to change their clothing in privacy. You can choose single or double kayaks when you book and almost everyone in our group chose double. This is a good choice for younger kids. Many people went barefoot so their shoes didn't get wet.We got into the kayaks on a lift that lowered us into the water. We kayaked around Harrison Cove and a short distance up Harrison River. We saw rare blue ducks on the river but not many other birds or fish. It had begun raining a couple of hours before and many waterfalls appeared compared to our outbound journey on the boat. We had a couple of guides who pointed out things of interest and answered questions.We didn't go very far because of spending a lot of time with the blue ducks and because some members of the group were inexperienced kayakers. Yellow Crested Penguins can be seen at some times of the year, but not when we went.The waterproof clothing doesn't keep you completely dry, but towels were provided to dry off and people who brought a change of clothes could change into them. We spent about 10 minutes hanging out before another boat arrived to drop off the next group of kayakers and return our group to the ferry terminal.Overall we had a fantastic time. The observatory was the highlight for me.

Definitely do this tour with the under water experience, it's fantastic and so informative.