A dolphin was an ancient naval weapon carried by Greek galleys.
Essentially a weaponized anchor, the dolphin was a shaped heavy weight which would be flung or dropped onto an enemy boat to attempt to breach the hull.
The dolphin was fastened to the end of a pole or yard by a length of chain or cord.
This allowed the crew to hurl the dolphin from a height, increasing the force of impact on the enemy ship.
In 2014,[2] a “war dolphin” — a teardrop-shaped lead weight was discovered in the ongoing exploration of the Antikythera wreck by archeologists from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports.