From the May 21, 2013, Yahoo! Today by David Strege.
A bottle-nosed dolphin named Ted discovered a self-propelled Howell torpedo in March, not far from the famous Hotel del Coronado in San Diego. A week later, another dolphin named Spetz confirmed it.
Divers went down to the site and recovered the torpedo. It is still unclear how it got there. It is now being kept in a tank of water to prevent corrosion.
The U.S. Navy has some 80 dolphins and 40 sea lions trained for mine detection, mine clearing and swimmer protection.
This is a historical torpedo in that only 50 were built between 1870 and 1889, and it was the first that was self-propelled and guided. Torpedoes used during the Civil War were actually what we'd call mines today. As far as propulsion, they would have to be brought into contact with enemy ships.
This was the first torpedo as we know them to be used by the Navy and were made of brass, 11 feet long and could cruise for up to 400 yards at 25 knots. They were named after their inventor, John A. Howell.
Only one other example is known to exist at the Navy Underseas Museum in Keyport, Washington.
Found. A Bit of History. --Cooter
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