USS Dolphin at Maritime Museum of San Diego

Decommissioned Navy research submarine, the USS Dolphin (AGSS 555), has opened for public exploration at the Maritime Museum of San Diego. The landmark research sub is responsible for many firsts in the industry, including the world record for deepest dive, still held today and the first email sent underwater.

The July 4 opening of the USS Dolphin marked the seventh large, docked vessel to make its permanent home among the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s collection of historic ships and living history. Among the historic ships it joins is Cold War enemy submarine, the Russian B-39.

The USS Dolphin, also known as the “World’s Deepest Diving Submarine,” was the last U.S. Navy diesel-electric submarine and was commissioned at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, N.H. in 1968. She was decommissioned in 2007.

Length    165 ft
Beam    18 ft, stern planes to 25 ft
Submerged Displacement    950 tons
Propulsion    2 GM 425 hp engines
Submerged Speed    3-4 knots (sustained)
Operating Depth    Greater than 3,000 ft
Scientific Payload    12 tons+
Crew Compliment    5 officers and 46 enlisted