Three dolphins died earlier this month during a Navy training exercise using underwater explosives off the San Diego coast, authorities said Friday.
Scientists have yet to officially determine what caused the deaths at the Silver Strand Training Complex near Coronado, but examinations of the animals showed injuries consistent with blast trauma.
The unit conducting the underwater training exercises on March 4 had scanned the area and spotted no marine mammals before starting a countdown to detonate the explosives about 10:45 a.m., said Cmdr. Greg Hicks, spokesman for the U.S. Navy’s Third Fleet.
“They saw the dolphins before the explosives went off, but it came so late it would have put humans at risk to stop the process,” he said.
“After the detonation, despite all required protective actions taken to avoid marine mammal impacts, three dolphins were found dead in the area.”
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