Dolphin and Sea Lions in the Navy

With a all of the technology today, underwater robotics and high-tech sensors you may be surprised to find out that the Navy's best line of defense against terrorists in scuba gear are dolphins and sea lions.

"They are better than anything we have ever made," said Mike Rothe.

About 100 mammals, almost 75 dolphins and 25 sea lions, are being housed at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego Harbor. They are part of a program that the Navy is using to teach dolphins and sea lions to detect underwater mines and terrorists. Roth is head of science for the Navy's marine mammal program.

Both of the sea mammals have been trained to spot swimmers and find mines in murky waters. The dolphins have been trained to drop a flashing light near a mine or a swimmer that they spot. The sea lions carry a device similar to handcuffs and a cable in their mouth that they can attach to the leg of a swimmer and because of the cable the swimmer can be wheeled in. The Navy is confident that the mammals can work together on the War On Terror.

This is the first time that Naval Base Point Loma has opened their doors to the press since the war in Iraq began. They plan to send up to 30 dolphins and sea lions to patrol the waters of Naval Base Kitsap-Bang in Washington state.

The sea mammal program for the Navy started back in the late 1950s and 140 animals were used during the Cold War and in the Vietnam War dolphins helped protect a pier. In 2003, the last time that marine mammals were deployed overseas, the Navy used marine animals at Umm Qasr, an Iraqi harbor, where the animals cleared paths and located underwater mines. During the Republican National Convention, in 1996, marine animals patrolled the bay of San Diego.

The Navy say they are phasing out the program with the expectations of technology overtaking the quality of work that the marine animals do, it is estimated that dolphins and sea lions will be used in the program at least for another 5 years.

One concern that animal rights activists have is that the dolphins and sea lions that are being sent to Washington state could be harmed by the cold water. Also, they worry that the dolphins and sea lions might transmit diseases to the area's killer whales.