Saya de Malha Bank consists of a series of narrow shoals, with depths from on the rim. They are arranged in a semicircular manner, around a space, the former lagoon, about deep, which slopes on the Southeast. Some areas of the bank are shallow, less than below the surface. The shallowest sites known are Poydenot Rock, at a depth of , and an unnamed site further northwest, with a depth of . The banks are covered with sea grass interspersed with small coral reefs. Due to its remote location, the bank is among the least-studied shallow marine ecoregions on the planet. The banks are a breeding ground for humpback whales and blue whales.