Dusky Sound is the largest and one of the most beautiful of the many sounds in Fiordland, on the southwestern coast of the South Island of New Zealand. The sound has several branches and is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) long.
The British explorer Captain James Cook was the first European to sight Dusky Sound. He saw it on the evening of March 13, 1770, during his first voyage of exploration. He sailed southward past the sound, and named it Dusky Bay. In 1792, a group of sealers landed on Anchor Island. They were the first Europeans to build a settlement in New Zealand. Dusky Sound became a major center for sealers and whalers.
Dusky Sound lies within Fiordland National Park. In 1986, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added Fiordland National Park to its World Heritage List. The list includes sites UNESCO considers to be places of unique natural or cultural importance. The park is listed as part of the Te Wāhipounamu World Heritage Area. 
