Scuba Diving in Diego Garcia --- "NOT"

Oldbear

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• Nov 19, 2011

• #1

ScubaBoard Community,


I was wondering if anyone knew the reason why Scuba Diving is not allowed at Diego Garcia? I know it is a British and American military base, but other bases have scuba diving activities. I have looked on the internet and can only find hypotheses and conjecture, but no real explanations.
The most interesting one being a local resident of the lagoon, Hector. Hector is a Hammerhead estimated to be 25 ft (≈ 8m) in length with inclinations to visit the pier. They said the boat was a 28 footer. But personally I have never heard of any Hammerheads that big before, even the Great Hammerheads usually only get no more than 3.5 to 4 m and stay deep...sounds like a fish story to me, but after all it was on the internet with a picture.



While Hector is a really cool story, the internet posting I found it at was dated 2010 and diving has been banned for over 30 years. Maybe Hector has been around for 30 years

So I am just curious if there are other and more plausible and realistic reasons...

Michael

 

Wookie

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• Nov 19, 2011

• #2

The British let the Brits dive on their side. The base commander (American side) outlawed diving when they sent the small boats from 2 destroyers and all of the island's small boats chasing a diver. Found him about 4 miles down current.

It's the US military. They don't have to justify their actions.

 

OP

Oldbear

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• Nov 20, 2011

• #3

Wookie,

Believe it or not that actually makes more sense than a Photoshop'd Hammerhead named Hector.

Spent most of my adult life either in the military and or supporting the military as a contractor...talk about a bunch of extemporaneous leaders.

Thanks,

Michael

 

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Doubler

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• Nov 20, 2011

• #4

That is not photoshopped. Hector was huge, of coarse this was in the late 80's. Diving is a on again off again thing at DG based on th US Commanders whim. One less thing for people to get in trouble.

 

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Oldbear

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• Nov 20, 2011

• #5

Doubler:

That is not photoshopped. Hector was huge, of coarse this was in the late 80's. Diving is a on again off again thing at DG based on th US Commanders whim. One less thing for people to get in trouble.

Click to expand...

Doubler,

I have read where at DG there are biologists working on various projects. Do you know if any of them documented Hector? My background is Wildlife Biology and I would love to read more about such a large shark. Do you know if there are any other pictures of Hector? Do you know if there were any human/shark incounters...I have read about the mysteriously breaking of fishing poles? What else do you know about him?

Very curious,

~Me~

 

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• Nov 20, 2011

• #6

Doubler:

Diving is a on again off again thing at DG based on th US Commanders whim.

Click to expand...

Doubler,

When the diving was "on again" was it ran thru the MWR? If so who provided the equipment, the air compressor, the tanks, etc.?

Was the diving in the lagoon or open ocean? From Wookie's account sounds like someone got caught up in a current in the open ocean.

~Me~

 

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Oldbear

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• Nov 20, 2011

• #7

Ok...did a Google Search for "Hector Hammerhead Diego Garcia" and got a few more hits with pictures. The common thread to all of these hits was "that is one bigass shark".

 

Kevster

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• Nov 20, 2011

• #8

HH can get big!!See the link for one caught in Oz a few years ago

Monster hammerhead closes in on Queensland as a tourist attraction | News.com.au

 

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Oldbear

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• Nov 21, 2011

• #9

HH can get big!!See the link for one caught in Oz a few years ago

Monster hammerhead closes in on Queensland as a tourist attraction | News.com.au​

Click to expand...

Interesting article...40 years old. I asked a policy question about diving and I am also getting quite the biology lesson

I have never seen a Hammerhead ... "yet" But I sure do want to now.

For some reason I thought they only grew to about 3-4 m with a 15-20 year lifespan. I could not have been more wrong.

Thanks for all who have shared.

Michael

 

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• Dec 11, 2012

• #10

Pretty sure it is allowed! Bring your own stuff and fill the tanks at the fire station. Get on the base XOs list and submitt a dive plan. Check with the Marina. Be there in January it better be authorized!!