I was doing some research on the more remote Caribbean islands. On one map I noticed a tiny island in the mid-east of the Caribbean off the main ridges: Isla Aves

I was fascinated so I looked it up Wikipedia. Mind you, I was looking for remote places to scuba dive. I was looking for hidden jewels in the Caribbean and tropical Atlantic in pursuit of that current less traveled. Most islands in that part of the Caribbean follow the ridge to the east as the tips of underwater hills or mountains breach the surface for air.

From: Isla Aves on Wikipedia
"It is 375 m in length and never more than 50 m in width, and rises 4 m above the sea on a calm day. Mostly sand, a small portion has some scrubby vegetation. It is sometimes completely submerged during hurricanes."

This does not sound promising for a good place to dive.

"For some time the island has been in danger of eroding altogether, and Venezuelan authorities are considering ways to protect it, along with the territorial claims to the Caribbean Sea which radiate from Isla Aves. The impact of Hurricane Allen in the 1980 Atlantic hurricane season divided it into two parts, but accretions of coral have subsequently reunited it. On August 17, 2007, the force of Hurricane Dean severely eroded the island."

Definitely not a good place to dive from. It is barely there at all and sounds like it has no barrier reefs to protect it from surge.

"On June 2, 1978, the Venezuelan Navy set up a scientific naval base named Simón Bolívar on the lee (west) side near the southern tip of the island, constructed as a platform built on stilts partially in the water, which was permanently inhabited by a group of scientists and military personnel.

The Venezuelan military in 2004 expanded the naval base, which was raised on stilts above the water. Several Caribbean island nations, including Dominica, have asserted to the United Nations that Venezuela's claim to an extensive exclusive economic zone of up to 200 nautical miles (370 km) from Isla de Aves is illegal."

So of course, Chavez used this rock barely above sea level to lay claim to 370km of the Caribbean (this rock does not qualify for these territorial claims according to the UN).

I think we can safely conclude from this, that it is definitely not the hidden jewel of the diving world I was looking for.

Chavez uses this rock barely above sea level to lay claim to 370km of the Caribbean (this rock does not qualify for territorial claims according to the UN). I am glad to see that Chavez showcases his anti-imperialist credentials by establishing a base and territorial claims on a lonely sea rock that the tides may well wash away.