The Snares Islands (; officially Snares Islands / Tini Heke), known colloquially as The Snares, is a group of uninhabited islands lying about south of New Zealand's South Island and to the south-southwest of Stewart Island / Rakiura. The Snares consist of the main North East Island and the smaller Broughton Island and Alert Stack, as well as the Western Chain Islands some to the west-southwest. Collectively, the Snares have a total land area of . Unlike other subantarctic islands that were greatly affected by the whaling and sealing industry in the 19th century, the Snares remain one of the last pristine areas in New Zealand.

The Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998 officially altered the name to "Snares Islands/Tini Heke" – one of many such changes under the Ngāi Tahu Treaty settlement.

Geography

thumb|250px|Ho Ho Bay — with Yacht Tiama anchored inside — a view looking north

thumb|250px|Southern [[Buller's albatross nesting above "Penguin Slope" — 6 April 2008]]

thumb|250px|Looking south across Punui Bay, Ho Ho Bay and Mollymawk Bay, with Broughton Island the last wooded land.

The main island of the Snares group, North East Island, as its name suggests, lies at the northeastern corner of the group. It has roughly the shape of a triangle, but with two concave edges, this causing both the southern and northwestern coast to be in the form of large irregular bays. Cliffs and reefs are found along the northeastern coast and part of the southern coast, with the island's highest point – rising to 130 metres – being located on the long westward-pointing finger which lies between them.

In contrast, the east coast is relatively flat and sloping, and provides the only easy access-point for landing, close to Station Point. Several small bays dot the east coast, among them Punui Bay, Ho Ho Bay, and Mollymawk Bay. The island's northernmost and southernmost points are the prosaically named North Promontory and South Promontory. Several small islets, the Daption Rocks, lie off the tip of North Promontory, and are the island group's northernmost point.

The group's second largest island, Broughton Island, lies to the southeast of South Promontory. Steeply sloping, it is surrounded by cliffs, reefs and small islets on three sides, with only the northern side being relatively accessible.

{| class="wikitable sortable col2right"

! Location !! Area (ha) !! Group

|-

| North East Island || 290.4

|-

| Broughton Island || 41.5

|-

| Alert Stack || 9.0

|-

| Daption Rocks || 2.4

|-

| Vancouver Rock || 0.02

|-

| Tahi || 7.6 || rowspan=6 | Western Chain

|-

| Toru || 6.8

|-

| Rima || 3.4

|-

| Rua || 2.9

|-

| Wha || 2.6

|-

! Western Chain || 23.3

|-

! || 366.6

|}

Environment

All of the Snares islands and their surrounding waters have been recognised as Important Bird Areas (IBAs) by BirdLife International for their significant seabird breeding populations. The eastern islands are notable for their Snares penguins, Buller's albatrosses, sooty shearwaters, mottled petrels and common diving petrels, as well as of Snares snipe. The Western Chain hosts colonies of Snares penguins, Salvin's, Buller's and Chatham albatrosses. The islands also provide a home to the endemic Snares tomtit, as well as to several endemic invertebrates such as Grypotheca horningae.

North East Island is forested and is the world's premier breeding area for the sooty shearwaters, with up to three million individuals being present during the breeding season (November–April). A dangerous reef (Seal Reef) lies ten kilometres to the south of the group. Megaherb communities grow on the islands.

The islands enjoy a status of high protection and are rated by the New Zealand Department of Conservation as "minimum impact islands". Landing on the islands is generally prohibited or by special research permit only.

The area is among five subantarctic island groups forming the New Zealand Subantarctic Islands, designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

See also

  • List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands
  • List of islands of New Zealand
  • List of islands
  • Desert island

References

  • Birds Of the Snares Islands - New Zealand
  • Info and Map of the Snares Islands - New Zealand Department of Conservation
  • Expedition Snares Islands video – Te Papa