Three protected areas and all three are for birds — sandbanks where roseate terns lay eggs, in an atoll almost nothing was built on.
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Shaviyani is the clearest case in the country of an atoll protected for what lives there rather than what you can dive on. All three of its declared areas are islands or sandbanks, and the ministry's reasoning in each is the same: Boduthiladhunmathi is home to numerous species of seabird, and the sandbanks they rest and lay eggs on have to be protected for that reason.
Bollissafaru is a 26-hectare island with a long attached sandbank, turtles nesting on its beach and roseate terns gathering on the spit. Naalaa Huraa is a two-hectare white sandbank whose sand rearranges itself between the monsoons, with lesser noddies on it at all hours. Farukolhu is an island shaped into narrow paths and dead ends by its own mangroves, and is on the Environmental Protection Agency's list of environmentally sensitive areas.
Funadhoo Airport gives the atoll a scheduled connection, which most of its neighbours in the far north waited longer for.
Shaviyani Atoll has one airport. The nearest to Velana is Funadhoo Airport on Funadhoo, 221 km north of it. The runway takes turboprops rather than jets, so every arrival connects through Malé or comes by seaplane.
Funadhoo Airport is in the atoll and takes turboprops, so a scheduled domestic flight and a boat is the route, and it works after dark. Seaplane from Velana is the alternative. Seaplanes fly between sunrise and sunset only, and the operator asks guests who want to reach the resort the same day to be in the Maldives by 15:30.
3 protected areas are declared in Shaviyani Atoll, covering 1,796 hectares. They were declared between 2018 and 2019, 2 of them together on 16 June 2019.
Sh. Bolissafaru is a 26-hectare island with a long sandbank attached to it, to south of Keekimini. This island is especially significant because of the seabirds that frequent the island during both monsoons, and the turtles that visit to nest on the island’s beach. The sandbank is also frequented by a large number of Roseate Terns (Valla) that gather there to lay eggs. Since Boduthiladhunmathi Atoll is home to numerous species of seabirds, it is important that the sandbanks where these birds visit to lay eggs and rest be protected. This island is filled with Pemphis (Kuredhi) trees, and has a white sand spit (Thun’di) that is famous among locals. The birds that frequent Bolissafaru’s sandbank to rest is a pleasant sight for visitors.
Sh. Farukolhu is an island unlike others in its formation with unique environmental features. Most of the island is lush with patches of mangroves and wetlands, and some parts of the island, due to its shape, form narrow paths and cul de sacs. These, along with other natural, environmental features, make this island different from others. Because this island is environmentally significant, it has been included in the ‘Environmental Sensitive Areas List’ by the Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, information about the species of animal life, as well as delicate places and organisms on the island have been identified through several researches done on the island. The natural environment of Farukolhu is divided into 5 categories. They are: 1. The tree lines 2. The mangrove connected to the ocean (‘Finihaka Kulhi’) 3. 7 salt and fresh water mangroves and surrounding wetlands. 4. The beach of the island. 5. The reef and lagoon surrounding the island.
Sh. Naalaahuraa is a small, 2-hectare white sandbank to the south of Hurasfaruhuraa. This sandbank has unique natural and environmental features, and the pattern of the sand accumulation around different parts of the sandbank changes between the two monsoons. Seabirds frequently visit this sandbank to rest during the two monsoons. It has been noted that flocks of Lesser Noddies (Kuran’gi) dwell on this sandbank at all hours of the day, and some visit the sandbank to sleep. Roseate Terns (Valla) are also known to lay their eggs on this sandbank. Since Boduthiladhunmathi Atoll is home to numerous species of sea birds, it is important that the sandbanks where these birds migrate to, lay eggs, and rest, be protected.