La Goergette-René, a wreck in a cave !

In Algeria you can find unusual things, like this boat from the 19th century discovered in the lake of Bir Bensomane in Guelma, East Algeria.

This boat, spotted in 1998 by freediver Mohamed Hanafi, was filmed, identified and photographed for the first time during the Bir Osmane I expedition in December 2011.

This expedition was led by the Hippone Sub Club of Annaba, French former World Record holder Pascal Bernabé and Algerian Mares Ambassador and explorer Emir Berkane.

The Bir Osmane II, III, IV and V expeditions led by Emir between 2012 and 2016 made it possible to identify the boat as the Jean Rouyer (1887).

The French explorer of the last century brought the boat from Bone (the ancient name of Annaba) to establish the first topography of the lake and decided to abandon it there due to logistical worries.

It took more than a century for this boat to be discovered and five expeditions to have its secret revealed.

Here are some videos of the expeditions:

Georgette-René: A wreck in a cave (Algeria)

Expedition hippone sub/pascal bernabe au lac souterrain de bir osmane- sur l'entv

Find more information and videos on the Carnets d'Exploration website.

Photography: Houcine Koudri (Algeria)