Snares Islands NZ New Zealand Subantarctic
New Zealand

3 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Ponant (3 Cruises)


Frequently Asked Questions

No. Landing remains forbidden to everyone except a few scientists holding permits. Expedition ships launch their inflatables and run close along the coast at idle speed.
To protect a unique balance: this is the only group of New Zealand's subantarctic islands that introduced species have never reached. No rats, no mice, no cats. The restriction gives the visit its character — you observe an intact world from its edge.
In the Southern Ocean south of New Zealand, off Stewart Island. A tiny archipelago, inscribed with the other subantarctic islands as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
A crested penguin found nowhere else, recognizable by its bright yellow eyebrows. About 35,000 breed on these rocks, climbing the polished stone to reach colonies beneath the low olearia forest.
Several million sooty shearwaters nest here in summer. At dusk, hundreds of thousands return from the open sea and converge on the same cliffs in a swirl that seems never to end.
When the swell allows, the boats thread along the granite cliffs among long ribbons of kelp. Guides sometimes cut the engine: all you hear is the surf, the birds and the breathing of the seals. Ho Ho Bay on the east coast is among the busiest areas for wildlife.
Fur seals and New Zealand sea lions, several albatross species nesting on the slopes, and the Snares Island tomtit, a small dark endemic passerine that hops through the shoreline scrub, indifferent to visitors.
No, and it should be understood before departure. Launching the inflatables depends entirely on the day's wind and swell; some ships must settle for a slow pass offshore.
Naturalist guides brief the outing from the observation lounge, with charts and bird silhouettes, so everyone climbs into the boats knowing what to look for.
Warm and waterproof clothing, waterproof protection for the camera, and binoculars. The spray is constant and damp cold drains batteries.