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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Dolphins Valuable to U.S. in Arabian Gulf |
| 2004-11-20 |
| The dolphins deployed as underwater sentinels to the Arabian Gulf region by the U.S. Navy last year have been valuable in protecting coalition ships and piers against terrorist attacks, a Navy spokesmen said Friday. The dolphins, brought to the region in spring 2003, are trained to detect, locate and mark a threat swimmer or diver and alert their human handlers. "The mission is going well. The dolphins have provided a very valuable layer of defense here," said Lt. Josh Frey, spokesman for the 5th Fleet, which is based in Bahrain. "We judge their success by the fact that no terrorism has occurred here." Citing security reasons, Frey would not say how many dolphins were deployed or how long they will be in the region. Lt. Kary Olson, who is in charge of these marine mammals, said this has been the longest combat theater deployment for the Mark 6 dolphins. As Olson spoke, a 400-pound dolphin named Luke made a splashing appearance inside a floating pen off the Mina Salman port, southeast of Manama. The 9-foot-long dolphin stood on its tail to receive a fish that a Navy handler on the patrol boat threw in his direction. "They need some time for fun," Olson said. The Navy started using marine mammals in the early 1960s, when scientists studied if dolphins' sleek shape had hydrodynamic qualities that could help improve underwater missiles. It used dolphins during the Vietnam War and again in the Iraq war to detect mines at the country's only deep-water port, Umm Qasr. Dolphins were last used in Bahrain in the late 1980s during the Iran-Iraq war, when several oil tankers were attacked in the Arabian Gulf. At the time, six dolphins patrolled the Bahrain harbor to protect U.S. ships from mines and enemies. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #10 Just be glad they don't use killer whales |
| Posted by: tipper 2004-11-21 1:07:06 AM |
| #9 .com- Triple cool with a double reverse cool twist*S* Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2004-11-20 5:48:14 PM |
| #8 "Mark 6" dolphins? |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2004-11-20 3:43:05 PM |
| #7 Saw a Mail Call epidode in wich seals(the animal)would search out enemy divers,when detected the seal would put a clamp on the divers leg. Sure beats swimming around aimlessly. :) |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-11-20 1:51:40 PM |
| #6 I'll bet they like it better in SD, Mike / Frank, they have such an unfair advantage over the avg UCSD beach bunny in IQ. One of the few cases where PETA approves - cuz the dolphins share, heh. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-11-20 1:44:01 PM |
| #5 NOSC has had/trained/used dolphins at the Pt. Loma Sub base for a LONG time. Same for North Island carrier berths (3 now) in SD bay |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-11-20 1:40:39 PM |
| #4 Um, Mike... |
| Posted by: .com 2004-11-20 1:31:58 PM |
| #3 There were rumors for years that the dolphins were protecting the big Fleet base at Norfolk, VA, and the local news once ran some pics that seemed to confirm it. Have to admit, we always thought that was about as cool as it got. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2004-11-20 1:26:17 PM |
| #2 They call him Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning, No-one you see, is smarter than he, And we know Flipper, lives in a world full of wonder, Flying there-under, under the sea! Everyone loves the king of the sea, Ever so kind and gentle is he, Tricks he will do when children appear, And how they laugh when he's near! They call him Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning, No-one you see, is smarter than he, And we know Flipper, lives in a world full of wonder, Flying there-under, under the sea! |
| Posted by: Penguin 2004-11-20 12:26:39 PM |
| #1 Saw a Mail Call epidode in wich seals(the animal)would search out enemy divers,when detected the seal would put a clamp on the divers leg.The surface unit would then reel the diver in like a bass. |
| Posted by: raptor 2004-11-20 9:21:22 AM |
