West Ho

I returned to the Maldives in May 2023. Libor will join me, and we plan to head west. The permits from BIOT have not come through yet, and waiting for them may not be feasible.

A decision has been made to skip Chagos as our next destination, and we will proceed to the Seychelles, which is a distance of 1,300 nautical miles. I was disappointed about not being able to visit Chagos. I did try and take steps to comply with the requirements, but it wasn't meant to be. This was primarily due to some changes at the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) office in London, as well as the uncertainty stemming from the recent ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding the sovereignty of the island. The ICJ ruled in favour of Mauritius, which means Britain will need to cede control over the islands. This uncertainty may explain the prolonged silence and lack of response from the relevant authorities.

The approvals to enter Chagos resumed in late 2023. By early 2024, Britain transferred control of Chagos to Mauritius. The future remains uncertain.