Te Waewae Bay is the westernmost of three large bays lying on the

Foveaux Strait The Foveaux Strait, (, or , ) separates Stewart Island, New Zealand's third largest island, from the South Island. The strait is about 130 km long (from Ruapuke Island to Little Solander Island), and it widens (from 14 km at Ruapuke ...

coast of

Southland, New Zealand Southland ( mi, Murihiku) is New Zealand's southernmost region. It consists mainly of the southwestern portion of the South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura. It includes Southland District, Gore District and the city of Invercargill. The ...

, the others being Oreti Beach and Toetoes Bay. Twenty-seven kilometres in length, the western end of the bay is mountainous, with the southern terminus of the

Southern Alps The Southern Alps (; officially Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana) is a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the range's western side. The name "Southern ...

and

Fiordland National Park Fiordland National Park occupies the southwest corner of the South Island of New Zealand. It is by far the largest of the 13 national parks in New Zealand, with an area of , and a major part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Site. The park ...

. The small farming town of

Orepuki Orepuki in Southland, New Zealand is a small country township on the coast of Te Waewae Bay some 20 minutes from Riverton, 15 minutes from Tuatapere and 50 minutes from Invercargill that sits at the foot of the Longwood Range. Once a thriving ...

is situated on the cliffs at the eastern end of the bay and the timber town of Tuatapere and Port Craig is located seven kilometres north of the bay, on the banks of the Waiau River, which has its outflow in the bay. The bay, lining from Sand Hill Point to Pahia Point, is declared as a marine mammal sanctuary and hosts an important habitat for New Zealand fur seals,Tuatapere area
- Department of Conservation the endemic Hector's dolphins and one of major winter breeding grounds for

southern right whale The southern right whale (''Eubalaena australis'') is a baleen whale, one of three species classified as right whales belonging to the genus ''Eubalaena''. Southern right whales inhabit oceans south of the Equator, between the latitudes of 20 ...

s on mainland coasts. Other species can be seen within the areas, from time to time, include such as

humpback whale The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh up to . The hu ...

orca The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black-and-white ...

s, Hooker's sea lions, and

leopard seal The leopard seal (''Hydrurga leptonyx''), also referred to as the sea leopard, is the second largest species of seal in the Antarctic (after the southern elephant seal). Its only natural predator is the orca. It feeds on a wide range of prey incl ...

s. Sea Shepherd is conducting annual patrolling named the "Operation Pahu" (''Pahu'' stands for Hector's Dolphins in Maori). Surrounding lands, both coastal and terrestrial, are home to little blue penguins and Fiordland crested penguins, 25 species of native birds, and the endangered New Zealand long-tailed bats

Gallery

Monkeyisland.jpg, Monkey Island and

Mussel Beach Port Craig.jpg, Mussel Beach, Port Craig

References

External links

Bays of Southland, New Zealand Southern Scenic Route Foveaux Strait {{Southland-geo-stub