Seychelles · Seychelles · Pinnacle
Shark Bank
Grey and whitetip reef sharks over an offshore pinnacle
Shark Bank is an offshore pinnacle off Mahe, a single mass of rock that drops away into deep water, and PADI gives 30 metres as its maximum. It is dived for sharks: grey and whitetip reef sharks, hammerheads, and whale sharks occasionally. Turtles, parrotfish, eagle rays, stingrays and dolphins are seen on the same dive, and entry is by boat.
Where it is and how deep
4.5631° S, 55.3536° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Entry is from the boat and the descent takes you onto the rock itself. The fish life is concentrated between 18 and 30 metres, and that band is where the dive is worked: large groups of yellow-striped snapper, jacks and batfish stack over the structure, with turtles and parrotfish among them. Below and around it the ground falls away into deeper water.
Sharks are what the site is dived for. Reef sharks are the regular sighting, hammerheads pass through, and off northern Mahe whale sharks are around from late August into October. Eagle rays and stingrays cross the same ground, and dolphins turn up in the water alongside the rock. With 30 metres as the site maximum, bottom time is the limit here rather than anything else.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Hammerheads
- Whale sharks
- Trevally & jacks
- Sea turtles
- Eagle rays
- Stingrays
- Dolphins
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Seychelles: Inter-monsoon periods (Mar-May, Oct-Nov) are calmest with the best visibility; whale sharks pass through the inner-island channels August through October.
Dive videos
Scuba Diving in Seychelles - Shark Bank - 08.03.2015 · Dragos Calistru on YouTube
Shark Bank by Robert Roeske · Big Blue Divers on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Shark Bank?+
The dive works between 18 and 30 metres, and PADI gives 30 metres as the site maximum. That puts it at the deep end of inner-island Seychelles diving and keeps bottom times short.
What certification do I need for Shark Bank?+
PADI lists Advanced Open Water Diver as useful training for the site, and it is rated for more experienced divers rather than for a first boat dive.
Sources
- Shark Bank dive site — PADI
- Mahe travel guide — Wikivoyage (German)
In The Logbook
- Where to see reef sharks on your first divesBig animals · 14 min read
- Where to dive in every month of the yearTrip planning · 14 min read
- Where to dive with whale sharks, month by monthBig animals · 16 min read
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