Banc du Geyser
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Banc du Geysir (also, 'Banc du Geyser') is a mostly submerged reef 125 km northeast from Mayotte, 112 km southwest of the Îles Glorieuses, and 200 km off the northwestern coast of Madagascar, at . It is a dangerous oval-shaped reef 8 km long and 5 km wide, becoming exposed only at low tides, excluding some rock formations in the southern part of the reef. The rocks are generally 1.5 to 3 meters in height. The largest rock is South Rock, with a height of 8 meters, similar to a boat under sail. In the eastern part of the reef there are some sandy cays, 1 to 3 meters in height covered with grass and small bushes. The entrance into the central lagoon is possible from SSE. There is an abundance of sea birds, and the cays are covered with tons of guano.
The Geysir Reef was first known by Arab sailors around the year 700, and was shown on some navigation-charts dated around 800. Around 1650 the reef was shown on Spanish maps as Arecife de Santo Antonio. The current name was given on the 23 of December 1678, when the British vessel 'Geysir' run on the reef.
The reef is located in the area of the French Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean. However, it was not claimed by any nation until it was annexed by Madagascar in 1976, presumably because of the possibility of oil fields in the vicinity.
The Comoros claims the Banc du Geysir as part of its exclusive economic zone.
The Banc du Geyser was formerly an island in the Comoros Archipelago, but it is now submerged [1]
