Navy Dolphins Find Rare Brass 19th Century Torpedo

Posted on May 20, 2013

The U.S. Navy has been training dolphins to find mines. The dolphins can apparently find 19th century torpedos as well. The L.A. Times reports that trained dolphins found a rare 19th century torpedo off the coast of California. Only fifty of these brass torpedos - like the one pictured above - were made by Howell between 1870 and 1889. The U.S. Navy thought only one torpedo remained, until the dolphins found another one.

Mike Rothe, who heads the program, told the L.A. Times, "We've never found anything like this. Never."

The torpedo was found by bottlenose dolphins named Ten and Spetz.

DOLPHINS