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Navy’s Plan to Keep Strait of Hormuz Open? Dolphins

Jan. 14, 2012 2:03pm
Navys Plan to Keep Strait of Hormuz Open? Dolphins

(Image source: The Atlantic)

With tensions rising as Iran continues to threaten the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf, the Navy has a way to keep the strategic Strait of Hormuz open. The answer? Dolphins.

As a report in The Atlantic details, the Navy has “a solution that isn’t heavily-advertised but has a time-tested success rate: mine-detecting dolphins”:

“We’ve got dolphins,” said retired Adm. Tim Keating in a Wednesday interview with NPR. Keating commanded the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain during the run-up to the Iraq war. He sounded uncomfortable with elaborating on the Navy’s use of the lovable mammals but said in a situation like the standoff in Hormuz, Navy-trained dolphins would come in handy:

KEATING: They are astounding in their ability to detect underwater objects.

NPR’s TOM BOWMAN: Dolphins were sent to the Persian Gulf as part of the American invasion force in Iraq.

KEATING: I’d rather not talk about whether we used them or not. They were present in theater.

BOWMAN: But you can’t say whether you used them or not.

KEATING: I’d rather not.

The invasion of Iraq was the last time the minesweeping capability of dolphins was widely-touted. “Dolphins – - which possess sonar so keen they can discern a quarter from a dime when blindfolded and spot a 3-inch metal sphere from 370 feet away — are invaluable minesweepers,” reported the San Francisco Chronicle. In 2010, the Seattle Times reported that the Navy has 80 bottlenose dolphins in the San Diego Bay alone. They are taught to hunt for mines and drop acoustic transponders nearby. The photo above shows a dolphin with a tracking device attached to its fin. According to a report in 2003, the dolphins only detect the mines. Destroying them is left up to the Navy’s human divers. Still, the mammals are large enough to detonate a live mine, a prospect that doesn’t delight animal rights groups.

Navys Plan to Keep Strait of Hormuz Open? Dolphins

Image source: The Atlantic

“We’re not going to second-guess the Navy at a time of war,” Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist with the Humane Society, told the Chronicle in 2003. “But we don’t support the use of marine mammals for military use.”

Animal rights groups said they don’t place the lives of dolphins above humans, but do question the ethics of placing them in hostile waters. Petitions sent to the Department of Defense have protested “the very real threat” of harm to the animals, either from a mine-related injury or from being regarded as “enemy dolphins” by anti-U.S. forces.

In 2003, a spokesman for the San Diego-based Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center sought to put quell fears about how dolphins are treated in the Navy. Dolphins are reliable and trustworthy animals by nature, Tom LaPuzza said, and seem to enjoy pleasing their human handlers. When they’re released into the ocean for missions, “they come back to the handler, the trainer” ashore or on a ship, he said.

The renewed dolphin discussion comes as the Navy revealed Friday that two U.S. ships in and near the Persian Gulf were harassed by Iranian speedboats last week, the Associated Press reported.

The Obama administration has been vague about what specifically it would do if Iran were to make good on its threat to block the strait. Earlier this month, Iran’s army chief warned an aircraft carrier not to return to the Gulf.

“We have to make sure we are ready for any situation and have all options on the table,” Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Thursday in response to a soldier’s question about the overall risk of war with Iran, according to an AP report.

Diplomats this week also confirmed Iran has begun uranium enrichment in an underground bunker, and the assassination of an Iranian nuclear expert has prompted those in the country to vow revenge against the U.S. and Israel. Iran claimed Saturday it has evidence the CIA was behind the scientist’s killing. The U.S. has denied any involvement.

(h/t Drudge Report)

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Comments (94)

1 2
  • elihu
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 3:50pm

    If ‘The Hussein’ should, by any chance be reelected, I’m moving to Belize. Check it out!

    http://away.com/travel-gd-belize-travel-photo-gallery-sidwcmdev_094101.html?type=nopopup&gclid=CJi0v_qx0K0CFWhjTAodZUHOnQ

    Report this comment

    elihu  
  • Voice1percent
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 3:47pm

    Flippa, Flippahr come b a c k !

    Report this comment

    Voice1percent  
  • Flapjack
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 3:43pm

    It’s Flipper’s evil twin, ZIPPER! Recruited by the US Navy and now he’s sabotaging Iranian safety buoys…

    Report this comment

    Flapjack  
    • what4
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 3:45pm

      Could be that the dolphin is in the family tree of our common swine?? just wondering????

      Report this comment

      what4  
    • dealer@678
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 3:53pm

      Ever see that movie “The Incredible Mr Limpett” with Don Knotts. This story reminds of it

      Report this comment

      dealer@678  
    • Master_and_Commander
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 7:15pm

      Hahaha I was just thinking about Brian Regan too. Good stuff

      Report this comment

      Master_and_Commander  
    • Nasado
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 10:50pm

      Maybe his eye patch is on the other eye in the photo.

      Report this comment

      Nasado  
  • Pyronaught
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 3:40pm

    The idea that a dolphin could set off a mine intended for a ship is baseless. If mines could be set off that easily they wouldn’t sit very long in the water before some big fish triggered them. I used to work for a military contractor making land mines for both tanks and personnel and the ones for tanks were designed only to detonate for a specific magnetic signature that matched a tank. A person or any other kind of vehicle would not set them off.

    Report this comment

    Pyronaught  
    • bruion
      Posted on January 15, 2012 at 8:02am

      The artical said that they detec the mines, they leave a marker and the rest is up to the Navy to destroy them.

      Report this comment

      bruion  
  • sam27
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 3:39pm

    leave the dolphins alone! let them out of those enclosures where people get to swim with them. how would you all like to live like that?

    Ron Paul 2012

    Report this comment

    sam27  
    • neocon1
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 5:44pm

      make cat food out of them

      Report this comment

      neocon1  
    • Melvin Spittle
      Posted on January 15, 2012 at 6:52pm

      Ever since my canned tuna went “Dolphin-Free”, it has not tasted the same. One dolphin for every ton of tuna gives it the perfect flavor balance!

      Yes, I know that what they mean by dolphin free is the technique to catch them.

      Report this comment

      Melvin Spittle  
    • ghostchildd
      Posted on January 15, 2012 at 9:25pm

      why would you want to make ‘cat food’ of dolphins, that are trying to help Navy detect mines??

      what a thoughtless post…
      Do people put any thought behind their comments on here??

      Report this comment

      ghostchildd  
    • Pigpen
      Posted on January 16, 2012 at 11:04am

      SAM27, I support Ron Paul too, and no, the dolphins are just fine where they are. And I speak of both the Navy’s dolphins as well as the ones that interact with people in the aquariums.

      GHOSTCHILDD, yes, people put a lot of thought into their comments. In fact, stating that we should make “cat food” out of dolphins wasn’t any real plan for the best economic use of the genus delphinus, and YOU KNOW IT! It was a BRILLIANT statement that struck true and loosened the manipulative GUILT that you FREAKS on the left have used to CONTROL the well-intentioned, high-minded, always cooperative, and always willing to do the right thing Whitey on the Right. So your sad little attempt to reduce the impact of the “cat food” statement was a nice try, but the “scolding, school marm” technique isn’t working anymore either now is it?

      Report this comment

      Pigpen  
  • GoodStuff
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 3:38pm

    Paul bots love Iran.

    Report this comment

    GoodStuff  
    • jrmhrpr78
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 6:20pm

      Close your mouth, your ignorance is showing.

      Report this comment

      jrmhrpr78  
    • Nasado
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 10:52pm

      Ah, it doesn’t matter since they will all go away when Paul looses the nomination…. and he is going to lose. No matter what you say or hope, he will not win, just like Perry won’t win.

      Report this comment

      Nasado  
  • APatriotAwake
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 3:36pm

    The dolphins are merely “red herrings” the real threat to them is the minnows. I’d tell you what they can do but then ……..

    Report this comment

    APatriotAwake  
  • whatthecrazy
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 3:15pm

    The people who complain are also benefiting from every single thing that our nation does to protect us and that include thier rights to B@#%$.Go dolphins go dolphins

    Report this comment

    whatthecrazy  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 3:24pm

      I have to agree that using the dolphins is the ideal solution; I have heard cases of them being trained also to locate and warm of underwater scuba swimmers bent on sabotague and such against our naval ships in ports.

      In the case of what Obama would do against Iran in the event they do close the straight is this:

      Send a strong diplomatic note via the UN scolding them.
      Useless calls for meaningless sanctions.
      Get us involved in another useless war he wants for politcal gain.

      Report this comment

      Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Elena2010
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 8:11pm

      @Snow — “bead window”

      Report this comment

      Elena2010  
  • klevalt
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 3:07pm

    Like it or not, having an animal go out and detect the poison, the bomb, the mine or whatever we use the animal for, is better than one human life lost.

    Report this comment

    klevalt  
  • recoveringneocon
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:56pm

    Iran is such a Great Threat that we have resorted to the use Dolphins? Little over kill don’t you think?

    Report this comment

    recoveringneocon  
    • qpwillie
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 3:12pm

      @recoveringneocon

      If they managed to stop traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, you and Ron Paul would see how much damage they can do to the world economy.

      You Paulies should just go live in Iran where those poor mistreated peaceful Iranians are. You could help them fight those mean Americans who are the cause of all the world’s evils.

      Report this comment

      qpwillie  
    • SpeckChaser
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 4:21pm

      @jefferson

      You said, “I know this may be hard for you to understand, since you are borderline retarded.”

      Have you ever heard the phrase the pot calling the kettle black?

      Report this comment

      SpeckChaser  
    • V-MAN MACE
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 5:33pm

      Perhaps these warmongering neoliberalcons should revoke their citizenship and go sign up in Israel’s army to fight Iran.

      Report this comment

      V-MAN MACE  
    • recoveringneocon
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 6:19pm

      Willie
      Find 1, just 1 Navy Officer that thinks Iran can close the Straights. You really need to start thinking for yourself or at least listen to the professionals and not some talk radio hack.

      Report this comment

      recoveringneocon  
    • hillbillyinny
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 8:22pm

      @ Jefferson

      Instead of repeating the talking points provided to all Paulbots, how about you go find an Iranian family that has moved to the USA, not because the U.S. was or is “provoking Iran,” but because Iran is a dfficult place in which to live if you believe in true freedom. Talk to Iranians who have chosen to leave there and come here and you may find a completely different situation from the one that is being “sold” to you!

      Report this comment

      hillbillyinny  
    • go2gym
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 10:55pm

      @Jefferson………..provoked or not, if Iran were to do anything drastic, I want a President that whose policy will lay waste to them. Disproportionate, waste-laying response like never seen before.

      Report this comment

      go2gym  
    • Jefferson
      Posted on January 15, 2012 at 10:06am

      @Go2GYM
      You have to understand, that the people of Iran are not the same as the regime.

      Similar to here in the US. Fear has been a tool used to control populations for CENTURIES.

      The Iranian regime uses fear to control their population. The US and Israel give them plenty of ammo to do that. As long as they can say to their people “we have an enemy at the gates” and you must do as we say, then many of the people will cower to their commands.

      The reality of the situation is that much of Iran is westernized. Most of them are younger, and don’t want to live in a hard core Islamic dictatorship. They can and will overthrow their OWN regime if outside influences would just back off a little.

      You don’t understand history. CIA involvement in that country since 1953 has caused more harm than good. It was all over oil as well. Iran had a democratically elected leader that wanted to get all of the British oil companies out of his country. Well that obviously didn’t fly with TPTB, and he was overthrown. This kind of stuff has been going on since then, and it has produced nothing but hostility which resulted in the 1979 Islamic revolution.

      If Iran posed the slightest threat to the US, then a President like Paul would exercise diplomacy. If that didn’t work then he would kick the crap out of them, and leave. He wouldn’t stay and have our troops act as traffic cops or school builders. He would bomb them back to the stone age.

      Report this comment

      Jefferson  
  • grayd88
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:56pm

    “Day of the Dolphin” George C Scott 1973

    Report this comment

    grayd88  
  • Jackie Rogers, Jr.
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:51pm

    I wonder how much it cost the navy to develop and produce dolphin blindfolds?

    Report this comment

    Jackie Rogers, Jr.  
  • nelan72
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:44pm

    Can Reggie Bush swim? Wrong dolphin

    Report this comment

    nelan72  
    • Airb0rne4325
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 4:13pm

      “Laces Out Finkle!!”

      If one goes MIA, they can always get Ace Ventura to go get’em.

      It’d be like Rambo First Blood Part 2. Cue scary music: “The last thing Ace wanted to do was dive into the Strait of Hormuz….”

      Report this comment

      Airb0rne4325  
  • ARMEDInfidel
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:43pm

    Brilliant concept. Navy vet here…..I agree with “any means necessary” to humble those Iranian thugs……up too and including that erie, green afterglow that they seek to expose us too.

    Report this comment

    ARMEDInfidel  
    • The_Jerk
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:52pm

      Your definition of thugs is the problem. You are the thug. You are calling for killing and war. Iran can not threaten us. Iran can not harm our sovereignty. We did harm their sovereignty. We are fighting Israel’s wars by proxy… something only a traitor could do to his fellow citizens.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy3KDYE5KQE

      Report this comment

      The_Jerk  
    • sooner12
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 3:30pm

      ARMEDINFIDEL……I couldn’t agree with you more. I too am a Navy vet. The_Jerk is exactly what he claims to be….a jerk. He has no concept of war and importantly how to avoid it. I doubt that he ever served.

      Report this comment

      sooner12  
    • GoodStuff
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 3:36pm

      @The Jerk

      Paulestinian kook alert!

      Report this comment

      GoodStuff  
    • macpappy
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 3:52pm

      I have seen some of the Navy’s work with these dolphins, and was totally impressed with the respect and care the sailors gave these guys. It will be hard for an enemy to counter a well trained dolphin.

      @The Jerk
      The way you come is that you have no experience in the world and are either ignorant to, or not old enough to know the history of the world. Our relationship with Israel is not so complicated that even a Jerk could understand it. We share ideals, morals, religions, ideas, and have a common wish to give our citizens a freedom that Muslim countries don’t understand. They are our allies in all these endeavors. They are a tiny country surrounded by evil incarnate, and we are thier one good ally. What is good for Israel is good America.
      Of course if you are muslim, or a Democrat it might be above you head.

      Report this comment

      macpappy  
    • thetreyman
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 8:35pm

      wait just one minute, 2 vets in the same thread that dont support dear leader paul. this cant be right because most vets and active service members are supporters of dear leader and the others dont count. dear leader is the only one who can save us from ourselves. we love dear leader.

      Report this comment

      thetreyman  
  • LimaBean
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:39pm

    this type of training of marine mammals has been taking place for some time. if you disagree with it than you must disagree with service dogs. they are an irreplaceable asset and have saved many lives in uniform. it is my understanding that they are held in high regard with whom they work.

    Report this comment

    LimaBean  
  • Publius Novus
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:34pm

    Bet these dolphins have higher IQ’s than the Iranian leadership :-D

    Report this comment

    Publius Novus  
  • idarusskie
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:32pm

    I guess it was flipper who put the bomb on the Iranian nuk scientist.

    Report this comment

    idarusskie  
  • The_Jerk
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:26pm

    Tensions are rising in the area because America has multiple carrier strike forces off of their shores and they have none off of our shores. Iran is a little, weak, nation. It can not hurt America. It is not a threat to American sovereignty or American security. America is being used by those Americans whose loyalty rests more with Israel than it does with America, because Israel’s interests are not America’s interests.

    Report this comment

    The_Jerk  
    • Mandors
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:38pm

      Wrong. We have carrier strike groups off their shores because they are a belligerent nation who continues to threaten other countries in the region and threaten to close the Strait of Hormuz which would jeopardize the world economy. Pretty simple concepts.

      Report this comment

      Mandors  
    • The_Jerk
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:48pm

      Mandors, perhaps you don’t know the meaning of belligerent. A belligerent nation overthrows a democratically elected government and replaces it with a totalitarian Shah. A belligerent nation, despising the freedoms of others, keeps that oppressive Shah in power for decades.
      Then, an ignorant nation wonders why they hate us. Stop speaking from a position of ignorance. Educate your self:
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy3KDYE5KQE

      Report this comment

      The_Jerk  
    • qpwillie
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:58pm

      @The_Jerk
      I’m sure without even looking that the video link you posted is just some Ron Paul propaganda video. We all know what his stance is on the matter. That’s one of the main reasons why he’ll never be president.

      Report this comment

      qpwillie  
    • The_Jerk
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 3:12pm

      qpwillie, the source is irrelevant if true. And, everything in that video can be checked against the backdrop of history. Your technique of belittling the source is a very common practice in propaganda, when the facts oppose your beliefs or goals. You have no other choice.

      Report this comment

      The_Jerk  
    • Al J Zira
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 3:50pm

      A belligerent nation overthrows a democratically elected government and replaces it with a totalitarian Shah.

      Or a repressive theocracy?

      A belligerent nation, despising the freedoms of others, keeps that oppressive Shah in power for decades.

      OK, you have to be kidding on this one. You mean that when the Shah was deposed somehow Iran became the standard to which the world now measures freedom? I wonder what women that have been stoned to death for looking at someone wrong would say about that? It’s a shame we’ll never know.

      You need to put the Ron Paul kool-aid down and look around.

      Report this comment

      Al J Zira  
  • PATRIOT802
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:24pm

    The Humane Society and PETA need to STFU….Dolphins are Americans Too !

    Report this comment

    PATRIOT802  
  • DagneyT
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:23pm

    OMG, this will make the PETA peaceniks go nuts! LOL

    Report this comment

    DagneyT  
  • larrylarrylarry
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:23pm

    “He sounded uncomfortable with elaborating on the Navy’s use of the lovable mammals”

    Probably they train them to swim straight into the mines blowing themselves into chunks which attract other fish that hit the mines detonating a whole field of mines.

    Report this comment

    larrylarrylarry  
    • 13th Imam
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:27pm

      Typical DEMORAT and Islamist fix for a problem. Sacrifice the innocent, while the leaders hide.

      Report this comment

      13th Imam  
    • MikeinIdaho
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:27pm

      Really? You really believe that the Navy would waste all that training to have a dolphin destroy itself to explode ONE mine? Really?

      Report this comment

      MikeinIdaho  
    • DagneyT
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:37pm

      TROLL ALERT! TROLL ALERT! Please don’t feed the trolls.

      Report this comment

      DagneyT  
    • 000degrees
      Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:59pm

      Tuna Salad and an iced tea for the Troll……to go…..(ding)

      Report this comment

      000degrees  
  • PeachyinGA
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:21pm

    ” the Navy has “a solution that isn’t heavily-advertised” …. until now. What happened to the concept “need to know basis”?

    Report this comment

    PeachyinGA  
  • PATRIOT802
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:19pm

    Flipper with a Magnetic Bomb and Timer, Hell Yeah !
    GOD BLESS AMERICA

    Report this comment

    PATRIOT802  
  • 13th Imam
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:14pm

    How about some sharks with lazer beams attached to their heads?

    Report this comment

    13th Imam  
  • Stoic one
    Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:14pm

    FLIPPER!
    I have read about dolphin training off and on throughout my life; cool stuff.

    Report this comment

    Stoic one  
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