Chagos : Profile

Facts

• The Chagos archipelago is a British Indian Ocean Territory. The largest island, Diego Garcia, has been made available to the United States as a military base and is off limits to yachts.

• The islands are uninhabited except for Diego Garcia which has about 3000 military and civilian personnel stationed there. The original inhabitants, who lived on the islands for two centuries before being resettled in Mauritius in the 1960s, won the right to go back to all islands except Diego Garcia on November 3 2000 in the High Court in London.

• Increasing numbers of cruising boats are stopping at some of the outer islands in the group, some people even spending long periods on these uninhabited islands. This appears to be tolerated, although the islands are regularly patrolled and asked to show papers and passports. People on visiting yachts are not allowed to spend the night ashore and, at least in principle, the authorities expect yachts to spend no longer than three months in the islands. It is in the best interests of all sailors not to upset the present status quo by abusing this tolerance.

• The archipelago has the largest expanse of undisturbed coral reefs in the Indian Ocean, as well as rare and endangered species of birds and other wildlife. There are strict conservation rules, which must be observed in order to preserve this unique sanctuary in its present state.

Main Ports

Diego Garcia * , Egmont Islands , Peros Banhos , Salomon Islands

*Indicates a port of entry.

Related Reports

World Cruising Handbook Corrections & Additions: South Indian Ocean (14 Mar 2008)

Routing From East Africa To Med  (17 Jan 2008)

SAILING in COMPANY, REQUESTING EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (18 Dec 2007)

Visit Permit Request for Chagos Archipellago (BIOT) (06 Dec 2007)

Chagos Yachts Last Letter To British Authorities (29 Jul 2007)

World Cruising Handbook Corrections and Updates 10: South East Asia and Far East (17 Jul 2007)

Questions On Chagos Stay (20 Apr 2007)

Laws and Guidance For Visitors To Chagos: Revised March 2007 (28 Mar 2007)

Permitted Mooring Sites In Chagos: Revised March 2007 (28 Mar 2007)

Seeking Information From Other Yachts Visiting Chagos (19 Mar 2007)

New Rules and Mooring Co-ordinates for Visitors to Chagos: A Letter to the BIOT Administration (26 Jan 2007)

World Cruising Handbook Corrections and Updates 2 (09 Jan 2007)

Letter Of Protest Over New Chagos Regulations (06 Dec 2006)

Taraipo Tales June 2006: Maldives, Chagos, Rodriguez/Mauritius (07 Jul 2006)

Chagos Islanders Seek Yachts Assistance (12 May 2005)

World Cruising Handbook, Corrections August to November 2004 (18 Dec 2004)

Chagos Update September 2003 (15 Sep 2004)

Ilois Hope for Future Return (10 Feb 2003)

Website for Cape of Good Hope cruising route (31 Dec 2001)

Route planning from the east to Madagascar (19 Sep 2001)

Chagos update July 2001 (28 Jul 2001)

Related News

Chagos families win legal battle (23 May 2007)

Chagos Regulations Now Online (28 Mar 2007)

Information from BIOT’s Environmental Adviser On Designated Anchorages (06 Mar 2007)

New Chagos Fees Won't Come Into Force Until April 2007 (23 Jan 2007)

Further Questions About New Chagos Regulations (18 Dec 2006)

Latest on Indian Ocean Ports Affected By Tsunami (10 Jan 2005)

Brunei Bay Radio Services (06 Jan 2002)

Weather Websites for SE Asia (29 Dec 2001)

South East Asian Maritime Net frequency modification (13 Nov 2001)