NEWS: Navy Dolphins Are Protecting Us

Hmm.. didn't seem to be anything in the article about the Navy asking the dolphins permission. There's a big difference between the dolphin carrying out some trained action and it 'willingly' agreeing to work for the American Navy. I don't know a lot about dolphins, but I just find it hard to believe they would want to fight in wars.

I would think that maybe they're something like whales:
"They won't fight back. I'm sure they know how. Means they love or are too proud."

I think there's a difference between a dog in an airport sniffing luggage and a dolphin guarding some important military installation against attack. One seems a little more risky than the other.

whatever, dolphins are just gay sharks anyway.

Maybe they can protect against The Pigeons?

You're serious aren't you? You really thought the military didn't have dogs working in war zones?

Military Working Dogs are amazing and I always feel a bit safer when they're around. Hell in the Air Force we love 'em so much we give them the rank of Seargent so it's a higher offence if someone harms one of our dogs.

i have this image in my mind of scorpion from mortal combat throwing a sea lion with a cuff in its mouth at a terrorist, screaming GET OVER HERE! and its such a wonderful image. thank you, NAVY. thank you

also, as far as those envoronmental whiners go, perhaps there tears of animal cruelty will be washed away when the very same dolphins and sea lions we trained to protect us.........bum bum bum................... turn on their masters and rule the world! GET YOUR FLIPPERS OFF ME YOU DAMNED DIRTY DOLPHIN!

(ps for anyone with microsoft paint/photoshop skills, those are two images i'd kill to see!)

Does a dolphin or sea lion that dies while protecting lives get a full military burial with gun salute ?

The Simpsons just totally flashed into my head when i read this.

I think it was one of the Treehouse of horror episodes, where Lisa releases the leader of the dolphins and they attack Springfield.....was rather humorous.

I am pleased to read that the Navy was tricked, by a deaf dolphin.

Use of mammals for Navy purposes dates back as far as WW II. This isn't new, but always pleasant to read about.

Hasn't the Navy been experimenitng with dolphiins for missions for ages already?

Yup, and frankly I don't see how it is any different from using a trained dog. So long as the animals are treated well and they are using only captivity bred dolphins I don't see much of a problem with it.

The important part is to pair the Sea Lion with a grizzled old cop who takes things too seriously and likes his belongings dry. Think of all the hijinks!

It's about time the fuzzy wuzzies earned their keep. Homing pigeons have been used to deliver messages and they were even trained during WWII to guide missiles. Apparently rats are used to help identify explosives. And my personal favorite use for our fuzzy friends: Cats were used in the Royal Navy to control rat infestations.

why are dolphins such fucking fascists?

You and I are on the same page today. Just came to say something similar.

I cant tell the difference between fiction and reality anymore.

hahhahahhahahahaaaaaa
ohh wait!!! poor dolphins

I think if the Dolphins really wanted to defect, they could very easily. But the fish, man, The fish are just so damn good. Dolphins are supposedly really smart, and not just because they do what they're trained. I'm sure the Navy didn't hold recruiting sessions or anything, but you don't have the crazy mammals taking off into the deep whenever they have the opportunity.

Besides, we drafted people for wars, then went to voluntary enlistment. This is just a natural step for the flipper corps. At least they don't have to worry about IED's.

I read about this once before actually...
when Katrina happened- locals were relieved to see armed forces in the area where these some of these dolphins were being kept. Because Bush hadn't yet sent in any additional help yet, so you can imagine some prayers were shattered.

The reason they were there was not to help the people that lost so much in the storm- but to prevent the dolphins escaping to the sea because water levels in the area were getting close enough for them to just swim away. And its safe to say the military has spent a lot of money on this.
Save the dolphins...
for naval defense.

No, they have to worry about mines. Slightly larger blast radius... Oh, and an underwater explosion is many times more devastating than an air borne explosion. No biggie, right?

Anyway, some points to be made here. For those mocking the program, I've seen the dolphins training in San Diego harbor with their handlers. I've watched as divers placed facke limpit mines etc on the hulls of our ships and the dolphins find them. Its rather impressive actually. They find the explosive, surface, bump a towed buoy to signal and tthen EOD divers take care of the rest. The dolphins find explosives, they don't disarm anything for shit's sake. Some people are reading too much into this.

Also, dolphins are capable of violence. They routinely gang up on sharks and kill them by slamming into their gills to suffocate them. Survival, yes I know, but a violent action none the less.

And, yes, I'm sure they aren't exactly willing participants of the "War on Terrorism/Waste of Money"... But are the dogs that sniff out crash victems willing? Are they helping because they want to or because they want a treat like they've been trained for? I'm sorry there are dolphins being kept in smaller cages than they probably should be, but none of htem have died to my knowledge. They are treated fairly well. Fed well, taken for 'walks' in the harbor (they swin behind a small boat following/eating a trail of fish doled out by the trainers.

Look, I was an environmental canvasser (knocked on 75-100 doors a day for months) so I share many of the same beliefs, but I think that people are making fun of a legitimately good program and simply looking for foul play simply because the military is involved. Its not the best run company in the world, I'll give you that, but it does have some working programs...

Why thank you - having been a child of the 90's that was always playing Sega Genesis has its advantages - remembering shit like this, for example.

And come to think of it... my old Genesis is downstairs. Later tonight I might set it up and go for a nostalgia trip.