The Chagos Diaries: #6 - The Best Job in the World?
Saturday, July 25th 2020
We received another visit from the BIOT Authorities yesterday, in the shape of Yolanda, the Senior Fisheries Protection Officer, and some of her crew.
They had stopped by to share their recommendations of some of the best spots to snorkel and fish, and in the end, actually took us in their RIB to a couple of awesome spots where we swam together.
Along the way, I questioned Yolanda about her job, and realised that she might just be the luckiest person in the world.
She’s young, smart, and adventurous – her last job was doing some research work in Antarctica. She told me that she decided long ago that travelling to far flung places was her passion, but she wanted to find a way to get paid to do it, and she’s certainly managed that.
But I think her current role takes the biscuit.
So, picture this. She works usually on a 2 months on, 2 months off schedule (there’s a second complete team who work the alternate months). Her company is contracted by the UK Foreign Office to monitor and protect the Marine Protection Area that BIOT largely consists of – it’s essentially the largest marine reserve in the world.
To do this, they have a large ship at their permanent disposal, which has 10 crew (A skipper, mate, several engineers, a chef and a few others whole roles I lost count of). And that ship has two purposes. To intercept, board and ultimately bring to justice any illegal fishing vessels, and to monitor the marine reserve and conduct scientific tracking and experiments of the abundant fish, turtles, birds and crabs in the area.
They are also contracted by various scientific research organisations, either to supply data, or to host visiting scientists who they then bring to Chagos to conduct experiments. And every now and then, the British Military ask them to take contingents of marines on exercise.
Ostensibly, the ship’s home base is at the Military Base of Diego Garcia, but Yolanda and crew are on patrol 90% of the time. It’s fully self contained, which it has to be in these remote waters. It has two high speed chase ribs, an on board hospital, plus what sounds like pretty comfortable accommodation for crew and guests.
Essentially that means she’s swimming, snorkelling, inspecting, tracking and recording the wildlife on deserted islands, acting as a customs officer on behalf of the British Government to the occasional yachty like us who comes through. And just when that idyllic life might threaten to get a little bit samey, they spot an illegal vessel fishing, and give chase. When they catch them, they board them, inspect the ship, and impound it, forcing them to follow them to Diego Garcia where they will face international court and heavy fines.
And then it’s back to swimming with turtles and manta rays again.
It’s the kind of job that in a different era would have been described as a “Boy’s Own” adventure.
And I want it!
