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Dolphins can be trained to detect underwater swimmers. |
"These animals have the capabilities for what needs to be done for this particular mission," Tom LaPuzza, a spokesman for the Navy's Marine Mammal Program, told the Associated Press.
However, members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), disagree, saying that dolphins are not the best option in this situation.
"We believe the United States' citizens deserve the very best defense possible, and this just isn't it," Stephanie Boyles, a spokeswoman for PETA, said in an interview with the Associated Press. "They (the dolphins) don't understand the consequences of what will happen if they don't carry out the mission."
The Navy currently has a Marine Mammal Program made up of sea lions and dolphins that are trained to detect people underwater. The program, which is made up of about 100 sea animals, is headquartered in San Diego, CA, and was created in the 1960s. Once a dolphin detects a swimmer, it drops a marker so that commanders know where the swimmer is located and can check out the situation.
Sea animals were used in 2003 to guard the Iraqi harbor and in 1996 to guard the San Diego bay while the Republican National Convention was taking place. In addition to dropping signals to alert guards to underwater attackers, sea animals can also be trained to put a clamp on a swimmers leg so that the swimmer can be detained for questioning.
While the water in Puget Sound is colder than the water in San Diego where the dolphins are from, the Navy has said that the dolphins will be kept in heated water until they are sent out for their two-hour-long patrol shifts.
Currently, the Navy is waiting to hear from the public on the environmental aspect of the plan.
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