A submarine has been spotted cruising through Port Phillip Bay, much to the surprise of Melburnians who were working or out for a stroll in Williamstown on Monday.
A 3AW listener managed to snap a picture of the vessel as it sailed towards the West Gate Bridge.
![The submarine seen heading towards the West Gate Bridge.](/web/20161102102851im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/e/b/m/f/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gseoo0.png/1477897592577.jpg)
The submarine has generated a buzz online, with one Reddit user joking the ship's occupants must be docking just in time to watch Tuesday's Melbourne Cup.
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![Publicly available data shows the submarine cruising up the Yarra.](/web/20161102102851im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/e/q/x/r/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gseoo0.png/1477897592577.jpg)
The Department of Defence has since confirmed the submarine is HMAS Farncomb, a Navy submarine that has been in operation for 21 years.
However a spokesman declined to say why the vessel had decided to dock in Melbourne.
![HMAS Farncomb is now docked at the Port of Melbourne.](http://web.archive.org./web/20161102102851im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/e/p/f/4/image.imgtype.articleLeadwide.620x0.png)
HMAS Farncomb is now docked at the Port of Melbourne. Photo: Penny Stephens
The submarine cruised into the mouth of the Yarra at about 14 kilometres an hour, according to APRS data.
The vessel was spotted as two cruise liners in Melbourne for the Melbourne Cup, the Pacific Jewel and Pacific Pearl, docked at Station Pier.
HMAS Farncomb took four years to build and its motto is "with skill and resolve", according to the Royal Australian Navy's website.
Not often you see a submarine in the Yarra! We believe this is HMAS Farncomb @9NewsMelb pic.twitter.com/DBtEIZ1A8G
— Tom Kelly (@tpwkelly) October 31, 2016
Meanwhile, the Port of Melbourne sale has officially gone through, boosting the state government's coffers by $9 billion.
The lease was won by a consortium that included by one of China's biggest sovereign wealth funds.
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