Where is Diego Garcia

Diego Garcia is an island in the remote Chagos Archipelago, British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) and situated roughly 7 degrees south of the equator and 72 degrees east of Greenwich. The southern most Maldives lie 400 miles to the North and Mauritius 1200 miles to the South West.

The Chagos Archipelago is the wettest group of tropical atolls in the Indian Ocean and although Diego Garcia is the
driest it still experiences an average rainfall of 100 inches a year. Like most atolls there is a large fresh water table that collects in
"water lenses" that permeate the ground, floating on top of the seawater. These fresh water lenses are readily tapped by shallow wells and provide adequate drinking water (after treatment) to the island population. The temperature is a pleasant 85 to 90 degree Fahrenheit most days with frequent breezes, and because Diego Garcia lies between the Northern and Southern cyclone belts, it avoids the storms that periodically hit Mauritius. The underwater topography is very steep and makes Diego Garcia somewhat Tsunami-proof, as there is no shallow shelf for the Tsunami to build up into a destructive wave.

There are no indigenous mammals on Diego Garcia and of those introduced by former settlers, only donkeys and rats have
survived. While there are no snakes on the island, various protected species of birds, Hawksbill turtles, lobsters and crabs thrive on Diego Garcia. One species of crab, the coconut crab, is a hermit crab derivative that can grow up to three feet across with pincers that can open a coconut husk; they are nocturnal and spend the day in holes in the ground. Coconut crabs can be found in the nature reserve part of the island, are not dangerous and will keep out of the way if not disturbed. The Hawksbill turtle enjoys its own preserve and they can be watched from observation decks that overlook their habitat.

However, the ocean is a different "kettle of fish"and abounds with sharks. Swimming is prohibited on the ocean side, but is
allowed in the lagoon that is 13 miles long and 4.5 miles wide at its widest point. Sailing and fishing are popular pastimes on the island and the ocean teems with fish.

The land is a ribbon of coral rock often only 100 yards wide from lagoon to ocean and held together by scaevola tacada
commonly known as "scavvy". The scavvy, coconut palms and ironwood trees provide lush vegetation that covers over most of the island.

Diego Garcia is home to the United States Navy which maintains the base that is host to a number of other military commands including the United States Air Force. Travel to and from the island is by air, and is usually from Paya Lebar Airport in Singapore where employees of DG21 are met and looked after by our resident travel agent.

Diego Garcia is a beautiful tropical island and surely one of the crown jewels of the Indian Ocean.