Shark Bank

Victoria · Mahé · Seychelles

Shark Bank is the dive that serious visiting divers ask about first when they arrive in the Seychelles. Located roughly 8 kilometres northwest of Mahe in open water, this submerged granite plateau rises from depths exceeding 60 metres to a broad top at around 18 to 20 metres, creating a seamount effect that concentrates marine life in spectacular density. I descended through green-tinged water onto the granite plateau and immediately understood the site's reputation. The top of the bank is a lunar landscape of smooth granite boulders interspersed with sand, and resting on nearly every flat surface were enormous rays. Marble rays with wingspans exceeding two metres lay motionless, their mottled patterns blending with the granite. Bull rays clustered in groups of three and four on favourite resting spots. The sheer biomass of rays was unlike anything I had seen outside of a cleaning station. Grey reef sharks cruised the plateau edge in steady circuits, with eight to twelve visible simultaneously on good days. Nurse sharks rested in crevices between the granite boulders, wedged into surprisingly tight spaces. The true prize at Shark Bank is the chance of a whale shark encounter. During the transitional monsoon seasons, these immense animals pass through Seychelles waters, and the bank's position makes it a reliable interception point. On my second dive, a whale shark emerged from the limits of visibility at 25 metres, its spotted bulk moving with majestic slowness. The encounter lasted perhaps three minutes before it vanished, but those minutes justified every moment of the rough boat ride. Beyond the megafauna, the plateau supports healthy gorgonian fans, barrel sponges, and resident schools of batfish. Giant trevally make aggressive hunting passes. The granite substrate has a raw, ancient quality that feels very different from coral-based diving, a reminder that the Seychelles are continental fragments rather than volcanic peaks. Shark Bank demands respect but rewards experienced divers with the Seychelles at its most wild.