After discovering Dusky Sound in 1770, Captain Cook returned three years later and spent six weeks exploring this natural haven. Many of the islands and coves in the area were named by Captain Cook, such as Resolution Island, Luncheon Cove, and Indian Island, which took its name from the Maori people that Cook encountered during his visit there.

Dusky Sound later became the focus of conservationist Richard Henry, who lived on the fjord’s Pigeon Island from 1894 to 1908. Henry tried to save the endangered native kakapo and kiwi birds from introduced species, such as stoats and weasels, by relocating the birds to the far off Resolution Island. But his mission ultimately failed when he noticed a weasel had made its way onto Resolution Island. Even so, his conservation efforts continue to this day, as Resolution Island was declared one of New Zealand’s first nature reserves.