The Sulfur Bay Wildlife Refuge is a 145-hectare section of water in the south-eastern corner of Lake Rotorua known as Sulphur Bay and comprises a wildlife refuge and sanctuary that is home to a wealth of local and rare bird species including the nationally threatened New Zealand dabchicks, black-billed gulls, and banded dotterels. The Purenga stream flows into the bay, which stretches from Motutara Point to Ngapuna and creates geothermal features such as natural hot water and steam and boiling mud pools. It also makes the water appear murky due to sulfur suspensions and causes high acidity, sometimes damaging the feet of the birds.
Bay of Plenty, Rotorua