Praslin & La Digue · Seychelles · Reef · Pinnacle
Channel Rock
A granite reef whose tallest boulder breaks the surface at low tide
Area photo: Tobias Alt, Tobi 87 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Channel Rock is a submerged granite reef east of Praslin, halfway across to La Digue, where the average depth runs between 10 and 25 m. The tallest boulder in the group rises high enough that its pinnacle just breaks the surface at low tide. Coral cover on the rock is thin, and most of the growth on it is encrusting sponge.
Where it is and how deep
4.3496° S, 55.8085° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The site is a submerged granite reef in the water between Praslin and La Digue, and the boat sets up over rock rather than coral. The average depth runs 10 to 25 m: the tops of the boulders sit shallow, the bases of the rock make the deep end, and most of a dive here is spent working around the structure at whatever level the group is comfortable with.
The tallest boulder is the landmark. At low tide its pinnacle just breaks the surface, so the rock shows itself before anyone gets in and the shallowest part of the dive is directly beneath it. Coral cover is limited to widely spaced colonies of branching Pocillopora, with encrusting sponges and stunted Tubastrea on the rest of the stone. Butterflyfish and chromis are among the fish on the granite, and divers' logs for the site also carry whitetip reef sharks, eagle rays and green and hawksbill turtles.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Eagle rays
- Sea turtles
| 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.
Know before you go
- The tallest boulder breaks the surface only at low tide and sits just under it the rest of the time, so keep the ascent and the boat's approach clear of rock you cannot see.
Questions divers ask
Can you see Channel Rock from the surface?+
Only at low tide, when the pinnacle of the tallest boulder just breaks the surface. At other states of the tide the whole reef sits below the water and the site is found from the boat.
Sources
- Channel Rock dive site — Scubago
More dive sites in Praslin & La Digue
Pinnacle
Granite bank with whitetip, nurse and grey reef sharks
Pinnacle
One giant boulder, 10 to 25 m, with sharks on the granite
Pinnacle
Sponge-covered granite with whitetip sharks and turtles
Pinnacle
Granite canyons in the channel between Praslin and La Digue
Pinnacle
Three shark species and schooling humphead parrotfish
Drift
A granite drift with blacktip and whitetip reef sharks
Pinnacle
Giant granite boulders and swim-throughs, 35 minutes out
Reef
Five minutes out, around 5 m, in a bay that stays calm
Similar dives elsewhere
180 m of reef with a pinnacle at each end, 10 m to 30 m
Raw lava flows skinned in white and blue soft coral
Manta cleaning stations at 10–15 m, with 8–9 mantas at once on a good day
Groups of eagle rays and barracuda on the incoming current