Geology
The bank was formed 35 million years ago by the Réunion hotspot, and is composed of basaltic basal rock overlain with limestone. The limestone banks found on the plateau are the remnants of coral reefs. Millions of years ago, the bank was one or more mountainous volcanic islands, like present-day Mauritius and Réunion, which subsequently sank below the waves. Some of the banks may have been low islands as recently as 18,000 - 6,000 years ago, when sea levels were up to 130 m (430 ft) lower during the most recent ice age.
Read more about this topic: Saya De Malha Bank