Extensive lichen fabrics are particularly characteristic. Hailuoto, a bird research site, has a long tradition. Waterfowl are most abundant in meadows, extensive shallows, reefs and lush bays. The highlight of the fall is the migration of swans, which culminates in one and a half thousand birds resting on the shores. In November 2019, a rare phenomenon was observed on the shores of Marjaniemi in Hailuoto, when thousands of "egg-shaped" sea ice had accumulated on the shore. BBC Weather expert George Goodfellow explained the reason for the phenomenon: "The general picture is that they form from pieces of larger ice sheet which then get jostled around by waves, making them rounder. They can grow when sea water freezes on to their surfaces and this also helps to make them smoother. So the result is a ball of smooth ice which can then get deposited on to a beach, either blown there or getting left there when the tide goes out." Islands Hailuoto (main island) Hoikanriisi Isomatala Kengänkari Mustakivi Santosenkari Pikku-Hoikka Ulkoriisi Ulkolaidanmatala Väliteonkarit Villages Järventakusta Hailuoto Koivukylä Marjaniemi Ojakylä Pöllä Ulkokarvo Vaski Services In the center village of Hailuoto there is a comprehensive school, two grocery stores (K-Market and Sale), a bank (Osuuspankki), a barber shop and a filling station (SEO). The Arctic Light House Hotel for tourists is located right next to the Marjaniemi Lighthouse. Religion According to the 2018 regional division, the only parishes in the municipality are the Hailuoto Parish of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Oulu Orthodox Parish of the Finnish Orthodox Church. Of the revival movements within the church, Conservative Laestadianism operates in the locality, which has the Hailuoto Peace Association (Hailuodon Rauhanyhdistys). Culture The entire island of Hailuoto is classified as one of Finland's nationally significant built cultural environments. The unique landscape and natural conditions have made Hailuoto, the largest island in the Bay of Bothnia, one of Finland's national landscapes. Food In the 1980s, fish potatoes made from European whitefish were named traditional food of the Hailuoto parish. Transportation A ferry operates regularly between Hailuoto and Oulu's suburb of Oulunsalo. In winter an official ice road, approximately long, connects the island to the mainland. The main road on the island is the regional road 816, which continue to the mainland towards the Kempele municipality via a ferry connection. Hailuoto also has a small airfield, Hailuoto Airfield, about south of central village. A