Despite many years of its existence, there continues to be much opposition to the Navy's marine mammal program, called NMMP. It is now mainly based in San Diego, and uses dolphins and other mammals for military purposes. The dolphins are trained to locate and mark floating sea mines; locate and mark mines on the ocean floor; or ones that are buried; and to determine safe paths for troops coming ashore. The dolphins also stand guard to protect harbors and ships against unauthorized swimmers. When an enemy is detected, the dolphin allegedly bumps an object connected to a buoy into the enemy's air supply. The buoy then rises to the surface, alerting the Navy of the enemy's presence .
NMMP dolphin teams have been used in combat zones in both the Vietnam and Iraq wars. Dolphins were deployed to the Persian Gulf in 2003, and the Navy claims they aided in detecting more than 100 underwater mines and booby traps. There are ongoing hearings on the subject, where opponents strongly air their views. The most controversial part of the program was called "Swimmer Notification," whereby dolphins allegedly were trained to drown people, but that was not effective. Also small CO2 cartridges were connected to a big hypodermic needle, and placed on the dolphin's fiberglass nosecone.
The dolphins are trained in San Diego Bay, and small boats transport the dolphins from their pens to where they are trained. From its beginning in the 1960's, the program has been very controversial, and strongly objected to by animal rights organizations. The Navy, however, contends they only use positive reinforcement, and follow regulations of the Marine Mammal Protection, and the Animal Welfare Act. Opponents also object to the stress caused the mammals, especially when confined, and object to the muzzles used which prevent the dolphins hunting for food. Opponents feel that this food deprivation gives the handlers control of the mammals, while the Navy states it is so they do not swallow objects which might harm them.
The program was classified in 1967, and since has been re-classified, but opponents feel that not enough about the program has been de-classified, especially to do with dolphin training. The Navy has acknowledged that besides the bottlenose dolphin, the following mammals have been used in the program, either for study or for projects: beluga; common dolphin; false killer whale; killer whale; Pacific white-sided dolphin; pilot whale; Risso's dolphin; rough-toothed dolphin; California sea lion; common seal; elephant seal, fur seals. gray seal, Stellar's sea lion; and sharks. Today the Navy mainly uses bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions.
The Navy assembles the mammals into teams which are marked in military terms as MK's. The dolphins are in three military classifications, MK 4, MK7, and MK8. The dolphin uses its echolocation sonar ability upon a cue from the handler, and communicates in a particular way to the handler when an object is found. (Echolocation is a skill dolphins create through listening to echoes of sounds they make, which allows them to determine the size and location of objects}. If the object is a mine, the dolphin marks the location by releasing a buoy. The ships avoid the area of the mines, or the mines are disarmed by navy divers.
Bryan Johnson of KOMO=TV recently wrote of members of the Greater Bainbridge Senior Center in Washington knitting sweaters for dolphins who are going to be used by the U.S. Navy on patrols for Homeland Security. One of the women even bought regulation Navy buttons for adorning the sweaters. This knitting project is gaining popularity across the country.
