The Algerian current observed during most of the summers between 1975 and 1983 appeared as a succession of eddies (diameter about 100 km) propagating eastward along the coast. In 1984, however, satellite infrared imagery revealed two huge (diameter about 200 km) and driftless anticyclonic eddies occupying most of the Algerian basin. The Atlantic water was deflected seaward as far as the Balearic islands by the westernmost eddy located off Algiers, and was then dispatched by other eddies throughout the basin as if by a set of paddle-wheels. Nevertheless, and independent of the general situation, the occurrence of eddies induces secondary phenomena such as advections of surface water from the Liguro-Provencal basin into the Algerian basin, cool tongues and small-scale cyclonic eddies along the Algerian coast. In consequence, the circulation in the Algerian basin is mainly driven by mesoscale eddies and its temporal and spatial variability is thus very large.