Milford Sound (Piopiotahi) is a glacier-carved fjord in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand, where Mitre Peak rises steeply straight out of the water. Toggle the freshwater lens to see the tannin-stained rainwater layer that floats on the seawater, and the waterfall highlight to see the two permanent cascades down the cliff walls.
Published figures: fjord length about 15 km from the Tasman Sea to the head; Mitre Peak rises about 1,692 m directly from the water; average annual rainfall about 6,400 mm.
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Milford Sound 3D Explorer
This browser explorer shows Milford Sound in cross-section: steep rainforest-clad cliff walls rising from a narrow water channel, with Mitre Peak standing sheer at the fjord's edge, two waterfall ribbons down the rock face, and a tannin-tinted freshwater layer floating on the surface.
Milford Sound (Piopiotahi in Maori) sits in Fiordland National Park on the South Island of New Zealand. Despite the name, it is a true fjord, not a sound - it was carved by glaciers during the last ice age into a U-shaped valley that the sea later flooded. Mitre Peak, named for its resemblance to a bishop's mitre, rises straight from the water at the fjord's edge with almost no foothills. The area is one of the wettest inhabited places on Earth, and that constant rainfall creates a distinctive freshwater lens: fresh, tannin-stained rainwater runs off the rainforest and floats on top of the denser seawater, cutting light and letting deep-water black coral grow at unusually shallow depths. Milford Sound is part of Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand, a UNESCO World Heritage Area since 1990.
- Toggle the freshwater lens to see the tannin-stained rainwater layer floating on the seawater
- Toggle the waterfall highlight to see Stirling Falls and Bowen Falls down the cliff walls
- Read the length, depth, rainfall, and waterfall figures in the panel
- Drag to orbit, scroll or pinch to zoom
- Runs fully in the browser with the vendored three.js engine - no account, no upload
| Figure | Published value |
|---|---|
| Location | Fiordland National Park, South Island, New Zealand |
| Length | about 15 km, Tasman Sea to fjord head |
| Mitre Peak height | about 1,692 m, rising directly from the water |
| Maximum depth | about 291 m, shallowing toward a sill near the entrance |
| Average annual rainfall | about 6,400 mm - among the wettest inhabited places on Earth |
| Permanent waterfalls | Stirling Falls (about 155 m) and Bowen Falls (about 162 m) |
| Formed by | glacial carving during the last ice age, later flooded by the sea |
| Protected status | Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand, UNESCO World Heritage Area since 1990 |
For another glacier-carved landform, see the Grand Canyon 3D Explorer, or compare with a different steep-walled water body in the Lake Baikal 3D Explorer.
Everything renders on your device with WebGL. The 3D engine loads once (about 0.7 MB) and is cached.
This is an educational approximation - the wall shape, waterfall placement, and vertical scale are schematic teaching cues, not survey terrain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Milford Sound?
In Fiordland National Park on the South Island of New Zealand.
Is Milford Sound a fjord or a sound?
It is a true fjord - a glacier-carved valley later flooded by the sea - despite being named a "sound".
How tall is Mitre Peak?
About 1,692 m, rising almost directly from the water at the fjord's edge.
Why is the water dark near the surface?
Heavy rainfall creates a tannin-stained freshwater layer that floats on top of the denser seawater, cutting light below.
How much does it rain at Milford Sound?
About 6,400 mm a year on average, among the wettest inhabited places on Earth.
What are the named waterfalls?
Stirling Falls (about 155 m) and Bowen Falls (about 162 m) are the two permanent cascades down the cliff walls.
Is Milford Sound a UNESCO site?
Yes. It is part of Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand, a UNESCO World Heritage Area since 1990.
Is this a scientific terrain model?
No. It is an educational explorer using published figures - the wall shape, waterfall placement, and vertical scale are schematic teaching cues, not survey terrain.