Chagos is situated in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), about 500km south of the Maldives.
It is home to some of the most pristine coral reefs in the world, though a mass bleaching event in 1998 wiped out almost 90% of the coral population.
Today, Chagos is the largest Marine Protected Area in the world, and a benchmark for global marine conservation.
Take a look at some of the fantastic creatures the reserve is home to.
© Chagos Conservation Trust
© Chagos Conservation Trust
© Chagos Conservation Trust
© Chagos Conservation trust
© Chagos Conservation trust
© Chagos Conservation Trust
© Chagos Conservation Trust
© Chagos Conservation Trust
© Chagos Conservation Trust
A young fairy tern, one of the most elegant of Chagos's avian inhabitants.
A coral bank: over 220 species of coral can be found in the Chagos MPA, flourishing in the pristine seas.
An nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum)
Over 784 species of fish are found in Chagos, many of whom have become locally extinct in nearby regions due to oversfishing and other factors.
One of the many amazingly intricate sea fans that are found on the Chagos reefs.
A hawksbill turtle- Chagos is one of the few remaining breeding grounds of these critically endangered ancient animals.
Coral dwelling fish- one example of the tightly-knit ecological relationships in these sensitive ecosystems.
A fantastic sighting of a manta ray- a filter-feeding relative of the sharks.
One of the more weird and wonderful inhabitants of Chagos - a holothurian or sea cucumber, relatives of starfish.
