Addu Atoll
The cosmopolitan white tern ("dhondheeni") is found in the Maldives only on Addu Atoll and is seen as a symbol of the islands. Addu Atoll also possesses particularly rich whale and dolphin fauna. A great diversity of species has been found there. Addu Atoll is the only area in the Maldives that was not affected by the 1998 global coral bleaching. The south of the Maldives was spared from the "too warm" major ocean currents of ("El Niño"). The bright and healthy corals start at the top of "giris" and "thilas" (about 1 meter [3 ft] under the surface) and slope down with the reef to a depth of or more.