Praslin & La Digue · Seychelles · Pinnacle
Aride Bank
Granite bank with whitetip, nurse and grey reef sharks
Area photo: Tobias Alt, Tobi 87 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Aride Bank is submerged granite north of Praslin, roughly 30 to 35 minutes out by boat, with an average depth between 12 and 22 m. Whitetip, nurse and grey reef sharks are the sightings here, along with napoleon wrasse. The bank lies off Aride Island, a Special Reserve whose protection covers a marine zone around it.
Where it is and how deep
4.2171° S, 55.6667° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The bank sits north of Praslin and takes 30 to 35 minutes to reach by boat, the time varying with the weather, which puts it among the longer runs of the day. The site is mostly submerged granitic rock, with no reef structure to follow, and the average depth over it is 12 to 22 m, so the dive runs at a level rather than dropping through stages and is navigated off the shape of the stone.
Sharks are the reason for the trip out. Whitetip, nurse and grey reef sharks are all in the odds here, and napoleon wrasse work the same rock, so the dive is spent watching the water off the granite as much as the granite itself. With the average depth inside 22 m there is time to hold position and wait rather than chase anything across the bank.
Background
Aride Bank lies off Aride Island, north of Praslin, which was declared a Special Reserve under Seychelles law in 1979 and is leased and managed today by the Island Conservation Society. The reserve's protection extends to a marine zone of 200 m around the island, with penalties including imprisonment for killing or disturbing its wildlife. The dive itself is on the submerged granite of the bank, reached on a 30 to 35 minute run out from Praslin.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Napoleon wrasse
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Good |
Season follows Praslin & La Digue: The southeast monsoon runs from May to September; the water is windiest and the visibility thinnest in July and August, while March, April and November log the clearest water.
Sources
- Aride Bank dive site — Scubago
- Aride Island — Wikipedia
- Aride Bank - Wannadive.net — Wannadive.net
In The Logbook
- Where to see reef sharks on your first divesBig animals · 14 min read
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