Praslin Whale Rock

Anse Volbert · Praslin · Seychelles

Praslin Whale Rock is a submerged granite pinnacle that rises from 25 metres to within 8 metres of the surface approximately two kilometres off Praslin's northeast coast. Its whale-back shape gives it its name, and its position in a current-swept channel between Praslin and Curieuse Island makes it a magnet for marine life ranging from schools of fusiliers to seasonal whale sharks. For divers based on Praslin, it represents the island's most exciting dive site and a genuine chance at large pelagic encounters. The pinnacle is roughly 60 metres long and 20 metres wide, oriented northeast to southwest. The top is a broad plateau of granite covered in hard coral and coralline algae, while the sides drop more steeply, covered in sea fans and soft corals sustained by the passing current. The topography concentrates fish life around the structure, with the pinnacle acting as an oasis in otherwise sandy seabed. I descended the mooring line to the pinnacle top at 10 metres and was immediately surrounded by fish. Schools of yellowback fusiliers streamed past in dense ribbons. Beneath them, bluefin trevally hunted in coordinated packs, their silver-blue bodies flashing as they accelerated through the fusilier clouds. A large Napoleon wrasse materialized from deeper water, circling the pinnacle with proprietary confidence. Rounding the northeastern corner, I found three spotted eagle rays hovering in formation just off the pinnacle wall at 15 metres. Their wings beat in slow synchrony as they held position in the current, their white-spotted dorsal surfaces unmistakable. They allowed close approach before banking away towards deeper water. The pinnacle walls yield macro treasures between the larger encounters. Large groupers occupy territorial caves. Batfish hover in stacked formation under overhangs. Green turtles use the pinnacle as a resting station, wedging themselves into crevices out of the current. During the October-November plankton bloom, the water around Whale Rock becomes soupy with nutrients, visibility drops, but the chance of whale shark encounters increases dramatically. These gentle giants cruise near the surface above the pinnacle, feeding on the concentrated plankton. Encounters are typically brief but profoundly memorable, the largest fish in the ocean passing within metres in Seychellois waters.