Stunned fishermen hunting for marlin were left fearing they had stumbled across a live TORPEDO floating in the Pacific.
The crew spotted the bizarre military-looking object while fishing on Tuesday (15 September).
At first they thought the cylindrical object was just floating seaweed.
READ MORE: Baggage handler caught violently hurling cargo into plane
But as they got closer, they realised it looked remarkably like a missile or torpedo, complete with fins and other unusual features.
One fisherman claimed they could see what appeared to be sensors on the nose and a part resembling a periscope.
The object also appeared to be in surprisingly good condition, with little marine growth attached to it off Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.
One of the fishermen, José Martínez, said: “When we got there, wow, we were surprised, we were scared; what we thought was, if we touch it, it’s going to explode.”
The crew were aboard the God First, around 21.3 nautical miles south-west of Ensenada, when they made the discovery.
Worried the mystery object could pose a danger to other boats, particularly at night, they raised the alarm over the radio and passed its coordinates to Mexico’s Navy.
Naval personnel from the Second Naval Zone were dispatched to the scene and recovered the object, as reported by Need To Know.
And the mystery has now been solved.
Mexico’s Navy confirmed it was a practice torpedo, launched from the air for anti-submarine warfare training.
Crucially, it did not contain a dangerous payload and officials said it posed no threat to navigation or people at sea.
The torpedo has been taken to naval facilities while authorities determine its final destination.
The Navy has not publicly confirmed the model or where the practice weapon came from, despite speculation that it could be linked to US forces.
READ MORE: Bungling tourists sink into ‘quicksand’ at restricted stretch of beach
