Florida residents spot subs off the coast

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DANIA BEACH, Fla., April 6 (UPI) -- Many residents of the South Florida coast said they were initially alarmed when they spotted U.S. Navy submarines performing exercises off the shore.

Javier Canut, chief lifeguard in Dania Beach, said many beachgoers are startled when they see the subs, which have been performing surface and underwater exercises in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported Friday.

"I've heard some strange stuff, like 'What, are we at war?'" Canut said. "Some people have never seen anything like this."

Lorraine Klopfenstein, 61, said she was baffled when she first spotted a submarine from the window of her Hollywood apartment last week.

"My first thought was that it might be dope smugglers," she said. "But it was there day after day, just under the surface. It was fascinating to watch."

The Navy has been mum about the exercises.

"There are several different training grounds that we use," said Navy Lt. Brian Wierzbicki, a spokesman for the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in Georgia. "We can't disclose the specific locations."