In 1970, marine architect Charlie Canby got an odd assignment: Design a 600-foot ship for an undisclosed purpose and an undisclosed customer. Only after it was built did he finally find out what it was for.

“I was dumbfounded,” he said. “I drove away in a daze. I could not believe what we were really doing.”

In this episode, reporter Daniel Ackerman tells the unbelievable story of a boat, a government conspiracy, and the birth of a new industry that could change the way we look at oceans forever.

Featuring Charlie Canby, Andrew Thaler, Wernher Krutein, and Hank Philippi Ryan

Produced by Daniel Ackerman. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org.

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LINKS

Check out this 1975 New York Times article published after reporters discovered the true mission of the Glomar Explorer.

A corporate update for shareholders detailing The Metals Company’s recent test of deep-sea mining.

Another archival report from The New York Times details the SEC investigation into whether investors in the Glomar Explorer were misled.

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