Due to the planned construction of a new pier within the ferry port in the port of Jablanac, in accordance with the prescribed special conditions for construction, a test underwater archaeological excavation was conducted. A test excavation was conducted from 11 to 16 November 2005 along the south-eastern shore of the bay, under the coastal wall in the area of today’s ferry port. During the five working days, four archaeological trenches measuring 2 × 2 m were excavated. The maximum depth in some trenches reached 1.5 m, which exceeds the thickness of the cultural layer. As there is a large stone embankment under the current shore, created during the construction of the access and coastal road, the first test trench was placed along the shore at the embankment, while the remaining three were placed at greater depths, where the embankment ends. During excavation, large amounts of recent waste were found in the surface layer, while amorphous ceramic fragments from various periods were found in the deeper layers. It is mainly the material that reached the seabed by disposal. It is very likely that the majority of the archaeological material is located under the already mentioned stone embankment and the exiting coast with a ferry port.
During the survey of the wider area of the bay, on its north-western side under the Ablana Hotel, a cultural layer rich in ceramic archaeological material was noticed. Fragments of pottery are clearly visible in the profile of the seabed, formed as a result of rotations of the ferry in the port. It was determined that these are finds from the Middle Ages and the Modern period, which are easily recognizable by their texture, repertoire of shapes and the presence of different types of monochromatic and multi-coloured glazes. It is very likely that such a layer extends along the entire natural coastline of the port of Jablanac, and that it was partially damaged by the embankment construction, the construction of today’s coast, the deepening of the port and extremely frequent ferry traffic. Finds from the Roman period are much rarer, and as the characteristic forms, it is possible to single out only one larger fragment of the body of a Roman amphora. Taking into account the specified data, test underwater archaeological excavation established that there are no obstacles for the reconstruction of the coastal wall in the port of Jablanac, but due to the negative impact of ferry traffic, the more detailed inquiry and, if possible, the protection of the cultural layer under the Ablana Hotel from further deterioration is necessary (I. Radić Rossi 2006, Hrvatski arheološki godišnjak 2/2005, 288–289).