Navy Wants Dolphines to Defend Our Country

Breaking, in San Diego- dozens of dolphins and sea lions trained to detect and apprehend waterborne attackers could be sent to patrol a Puget Sound Military Base, the Navy said Monday. In a notice published this weeks federal Register, the Navy said it needs to bolster security at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor.

The Base, home to submarines, ships and labs, is potentially vulnerable to attack by terrorist swimmers and divers, and notice states. Several options are under consideration, but the preferred plan would be to send as many as 30 California sea lions and Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins from the Navy's Marine Mammal Program, based in San Diego. The Navy wanted to deploy Marine animals to the Northwest in 1989, said Tom Lapuzza, a spokesman for the Marine Mammal Program, but a Federal judge sided with animal-rights activists concerned about the effects of the environment.

Water in Puget Sound is about 10 degrees cooler than in San Diego Harbor, which has an average temperature of about 58 degrees. Since then, the Navy has taken the dolphins and sea lions to cold-water places like Alaska and Scandinavia to see how they cope. Lapuzza said that because of their astonishing sonar abilities, dolphins are excellent at patrolling for swimmers and divers. When the Navy dolphin detects a person in the water, it drops a beacon. This tells a human interception team where to find the suspicious swimmer.

Dolphins are trained to detect underwater mines, the were sent to do this in Iraqi Harbor of UMM Qasr in 2003. Sea Lions can carry special cuffs attached to long ropes. If the animal finds a rogue swimmer, it can clamp the cuff around the persons leg. The individual can then be reeled in for questioning. The navy is seeking public comment for an environmental-impact statement on the proposal. It is not clear as yet the cost of the project.

Sources:
The Seattle Times