Mana Island (New Zealand)

Mana Island is a small island in Cook Strait off the southern North Island of New Zealand. It is designated as an ecological and scientific reserve and is noted for ongoing native species restoration.

The island’s main features are restored native vegetation and sites used for conservation translocations of bird and reptile species. Access is controlled and principally for permitted conservation work, research, and occasional organised visits, rather than general tourism.

The island was progressively cleared of introduced predators and has been used by conservation agencies for translocating and protecting native species. Management and restoration work has been carried out by the Department of Conservation in recent decades.

Situated in Cook Strait off the southwestern mainland near the Porirua area of the Wellington region, the island lies within New Zealand territorial waters and is administered as part of the Wellington region.

• Area: Approximately 217 hectares (about 2.17 square kilometres).
• Conservation status: Held as a predator-free ecological reserve with active restoration and species translocation programmes overseen by the Department of Conservation.

What to See #

• Scientific reserve: Managed by New Zealand's Department of Conservation as a scientific and ecological reserve, used for native species translocations and habitat restoration.