Sonadia Island (সোনাদিয়া দ্বীপ)

Sonadia Island is a low, flat island of about 9 sq km in Maheshkhali upazila, Cox's Bazar district, Bangladesh, separated from Maheshkhali Island by a narrow channel. Known for mangrove creeks, migratory shorebirds and beach camping, it suits nature lovers prepared for boat transfers, mud and a night in a tent.

Why is Sonadia protected?

Banglapedia describes its mangroves as the last remnant of mangrove forest in south-east Bangladesh. The Department of Environment declared Sonadia an Ecologically Critical Area in 1999. BirdLife International lists it as an Important Bird Area, and it is one of five East Asian-Australasian Flyway sites in Bangladesh. Proposals for a deep-sea port and a power plant have been flagged as threats to its turtles and shorebirds.

Birds, turtles and crabs

In winter the mudflats host large numbers of migratory waders, including great knots, spotted greenshanks and the critically endangered spoon-billed sandpiper. Olive ridley and green turtles nest on the beaches and have had full legal protection since 2010, though dog predation and egg poaching are recorded. Red crabs swarm across the sand at low tide.

East Para, West Para and the tidal creeks

Sand beaches run along three sides, with mangrove patches and a maze of tidal creeks behind. Much of the land floods at high tide. Two small settlements, East Para and West Para, depend on fishing and dried-fish processing.