An old Australian navy vessel was scuttled off the country's coast Wednesday to form an artificial reef, officials said.
The sinking of the HMAS Adelaide proceeded after a delay caused by a pod of dolphins swimming by.
The Adelaide, which had been the oldest frigate in the Australian navy, was sunk about a mile off Avoca Beach in New South Wales, The Daily Telegraph of Sydney reported. A mostly jubilant crowd watched on the beach as the explosive charges that sent the ship to the bottom went off.
Not everyone was happy. A small group of protesters kept a vigil through the night on the beach and beat a rhythm on 55-gallon drums painted with skulls and crossbones, the symbol of danger. They say much of the ship is covered in hazardous lead-based paint.
A skywriting plane flew overhead writing the word "Shame."
The Central Coast Artificial Reef Project, a coalition of diving businesses and clubs, has been lobbying for years to get a decommissioned warship for New South Wales. Two previous ships have gone to Queensland and Victoria.
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