Navy's plans to use dolphins in Puget Sound has activists hot under the collar (and knitting sweaters)

The Navy's plans to deploy bottle-nosed dolphins to protect its submarines in the Puget Sound have met with sharp criticism from animal activists, who say the waters in the Pacific Northwest inlet are too cold for dolphins.  And what's an activist without action?

A group called Knitting for Dolphins has an unusual method for drawing attention to its cause: knitting sweaters, hats and mittens for the dolphins.  The Navy has 78 of the animals, as well as 27 sea lions and a beluga whale -- all based in San Diego, where the water temperatures average 10 degrees higher than those of Puget Sound. 

"It's just a matter of being humane, or civilized, in acknowledging there's a reason why bottlenose dolphins, especially the warm-water Atlantic variety, do not exist in the water here. It's just too darned cold. And they don't have the physiology to adapt," dolphin biologist Toni Frohoff told our colleague Kim Murphy.

A federal judge denied the Navy's similar request for marine mammal use in the Puget Sound in 1989, but the Associated Press notes:

Since then, the Navy has taken the dolphins and sea lions to cold-water places like Alaska and Scandinavia to see how they cope.

"They did very well," [Tom LaPuzza, a spokesman for the Marine Mammal Program] said. If the animals are sent to Washington, the dolphins would be housed in heated enclosures and would patrol the bay only for periods of about two hours.

But the promise of heated holding pens don't reassure activists. 

Murphy reports on their objections:

In comments at a Thursday night hearing, Humane Society International argued that studies had shown that moving the animals in and out of heated holding pens could be traumatic and compromise the animals' immune systems.

The Humane Society and other opponents also have questioned whether dolphins can be relied on.

"I've been working with dolphins for over 20 years, both in captivity and in the wild. And most trainers who don't have an affiliation will readily admit that dolphins do not have as accurate a response rate to directions and signals as human divers. So I think it isn't just dangerous to dolphins, it's dangerous to people," Frohoff said.

The Navy has been training marine mammals for defense purposes since the Vietnam War era but hopes to replace its marine mammals with machines eventually.  "But the technology just isn't there yet," LaPuzza told the AP. "The value of the marine mammals is we've been doing this for 35 years, and we've ironed out all the kinks."

--Lindsay Barnett

Top photo: At the Point Loma Navy base, a bottle nose dolphin named Ten waits for a reward treat after jumping from a pool and onto this beaching tray. Once in the tray, the dolphin can be moved anywhere, such as to a speedboat for deployment in the ocean.  Credit: Don Bartletti/Los Angeles Times.

Bottom photo: A handler guides a dolphin to a halt during an exercise at Naval Base Point Loma.  Credit: Don Bartletti/Los Angeles Times.

Comments

[Fred Hutchins]

I support the use of dolphins to protect naval installations- not necessarily because "national defense takes a higher priority than animals comfort", but because I'm not convinced the dolphins are truly being abused. If they were taken to Alaska & Scandinavia & did well there (as was reported), then they would have no problem with the temperature in Puget Sound. The water there may be colder than San Diego, but it's warmer than Alaska or Scandinavia. I object to abuse of any kind, whether it's people abusing animals or people abusing people- including the unborn (alcohol, tobacco or drug use during pregnancy &/or abortion when the mothers life isn't threatened). I have a hunch that most of the objection to the Navys use of marine mammals is based on ideology &/or political correctness; not on all the facts or any real concern for the mammals. I also believe this opinion would be representative of the vast majority if a large percentage of U. S. legal voters were to vote on this given all the facts. 

[Dawn]

It's inhumane. Anyone with a heart knows that!

[Kelly]

Torturing animals is wrong. God people are brainless.

[Rebecca Castner]

Violence should never be an option. Kidnapping dolphins and taking them to an area out of their natural habitat and where their survival is compromised is cruel, at best.

[jun]

This poll is obviously biased.

"Yes -- national defense takes a higher priority than animals' comfort"

By using words like that, you're basically insinuating "you're an evil, selfish human only interested in his own comforts, ignoring the poor iddle animals that are harmed."

I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with this article, but the way the poll was written was obviously biased. :/ Some thing like, "It's perfectly humane." is a great way to say it, and it fits with the "It's inhumane" option too.

[Kendra Fuller]

The Navy Marine Mammal Program was deemed to have I quote, "exceptional" care for the animals. The animals are being treated well beyond than what is required. I am for every bit of defending our fleets and troops if a dolphin or sea lion has skills that no human can surpass and can make waters safe for our soldiers, while the animals also are more than capable of taking care of themselves. The animals don't stay in those nonnative waters for more than 2 hours at a time, there are habitats for the animals to return to while on deployment. The care takers strive to keep their animals healthy as they don't view them as just animals, either.
Educate yourself on this program and what it does for you and your country before developing a concrete opinion. Maybe because of these animals, your son, brother, sister, daughter, or neighbor was able to come home safely from Iraq.

[Matt McBride]

In a way, using dolphins is ok. As long as the dolphin is well taken care of and not abused, I'm all for using them to protect the US.

[Tina1970]

I live in puget sound! and the water is way to cold. even in the summer it's freezing. putting dolphins in there is horrible! you rarely see a human in that water, and if ya do, they have on a wet suite....maybe they should make a wet suite for the dolphins lol

[allie brown]

Putting dolphins in water thats only 10 degrees colder than their natural habbitat and youu people are considering that abuse and torture? Obviously you have no idea what "torture" is, I mean be real. As humans our seasons change and very from great tempuratre changes from summer to winter and we adapt fine.. I am not for or against this act but you people should analyze all options before jumping to the conclusions torturing the mammals.

[Mieke]

My Dad has been seeing alot of pods of Dolphins in the Puget sound while fishing and reading this article is a little disturbing .. Pretty soon its going to get really cold in those waters not that it isn't already!! I love all Marine life..