A hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) swimming in Chagos
Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Islands within the Chagos archipelago are a regular nesting ground for the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata). Sea turtles are some of the oldest inhabitants of this planet and are found in all the world’s oceans except for the polar regions. Hawksbills grow to about 1 metre in length and are characterised by their overlapping scutes (the plates of their shell) and bird-like beak. Due to the isolated nature of the Chagos, the hawksbill turtle is easily able to migrate to the islands to lay its 60-200 eggs with more chance of success.
Hawsbills are well protected around the globe and are listed on Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), meaning that trade of the species is banned. However, despite this there is still a black market for its particularly beautiful shell and it is listed by the IUCN as Critically Endangered. This demand, along with the effects of bycatch, habitat degradation and the problem of ingesting plastic bags mistaken for its favoured food of jellyfish, mean the worldwide population has declined by over 80% in the last century.
Red-Footed Booby (Sula sula)
Red-Footed Booby (Sula sula)
The red-footed is the smallest of the booby family, with a fully developed wing span of around 4 ½ ft. However, this doesn’t stop this fish-eating bird from flying long distances before dive bombing into the sea with its streamlined body to swallow its prey whole.
Although they spend their winters at sea, red-footed boobies can be found nesting on the Chagos atolls during the summer months, as well as other locations in their subtropical Atlantic and Pacific ranges. These birds take on a variety of colour morphs, both between their life stages and individuals, but all can be characterised by bright red feet. They make up for a low reproductive rate (laying just one egg) by living for more than 20 years, provided they can avoid their main threats of habitat loss and depleted prey stocks due to overfishing.
A diver surprised by a school of fish in the reefs surrounding Chagos
Deep ocean
The deep oceanic waters around the Chagos Islands, out to the 200 nautical mile limit, include an exceptional diversity of undersea geological features (such as 6000m deep trenches, oceanic ridges, and sea mounts). These areas almost certainly harbour many undiscovered and specially adapted species. Although the deep-water habitats surrounding the islands have not been explored or mapped in any detail, work elsewhere in the world has shown that high physical diversity of the sea floor is closely linked to a high diversity of species.
The animals of the Chagos are truly unique in the region in terms of both their diversity and the healthy numbers in almost all populations. Keeping them that way will be the foremost priority of the Chagos Protected Area.
