Journal en continu du GRAN

	Jetée du port de El Marsa (Jean Bart) et le rocher de la girafe

The Minister for the Culture wrote last Wednesday in the commander of the Navy so as to grant access to the east of the Cape Matifou. The liaison officer and the commander of the Surveillant, announce to us that we can now dive in front of El Marsa (formerly known as Jean-Bart). This area was earmarked since the beginning in our program, but due to obscure reasons, seemed impossible to reach. However, at a few days of the end the matter is resolved. All the team is now remotivated and after having insisted so much to work at Jean-Bart, we need to show that our request was well founded.

	Briefing on the deck of the Surveillant

The commander Zidane decided that it was too risky to anchor close to Jean-Bart and he therefore moved away from the shore and we depended on a zodiac to circumnavigate the Sandja islets in order to reach the work zone. The main objective is to find the shipwreck of the Sphinx. Yesterday evening we again looked at all the information in order to develop a method of research. The draught of the Sphinx was approximately 3 m and its running aground with means that that the depth for which one has to expect to find remains is of approximately 5m. At this depth, divers will use metal detectors and will search around the rocks in the area. Two divers will work in tandem, one at 4m and the other at 6-7m. We launch a first team of divers with fins and snorkel so as to make a reconnaissance of the area.

We also keep in mind the information collected last February and we stop a fisherman to ask to him whether he knows where the famous stone wheels are located. He guides us at once towards an area close to Jean-Bart. We launch three divers who snorkel in the area. Not far from the place indicated by the fisherman we discover not the two "wheels of stone" but ten large-sized grinding stones on the seabed. They are probably related to the making of olive oil but it is impossible to date these at this point in time. However, they are certainly indicative of a shipwreck.

	Copper nails, probably remains of the Sphinx

A few moment later, Noé, who had remained looking for the Sphinx discovers the first clues: some nails and some pins of copper by the rocks in approximately 4 meters of water. However, this site is not near the protruding rocks similar to those which encircled the hull of the ship at the time of the shipwreck. A team of divers is sent more to north to inspect the accesses of the protruding rocks with a metal detector. Many iron masses are detected almost at once by Michael Spiteri in 5 meters of water and over a rather large area. There is no doubt that the remains of the Sphinx are very close to us. The news of our two discoveries is at once relayed back to Algiers where all the team returns happy and relieved.p>