Oh, So Cute!
I’m sure you’ve heard by now about the dolphins that are being used to hunt for mines in the Persian gulf. I was curious about how thisworks and did a Google News search.
The picture above is from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The dolphins are trained to use their sonar to find mines. When they find one, they leave a marker buoy near the mine and return for a tasty treat from their handler. I can understand a dog being trained to do something like this; but a dolphin? Amazing.
And then there are the sea lions. These relatively unsung heros hunt for enemy divers, using their excellent underwater sight and other senses. When they find one, they attach a foot cuff to him that marks him. The sea lions can even chase the diver on to land and attach the cuff. They’re more than a match for divers, since they weigh over 350 pounds. And, underwater, they can swim at 25 miles/hour and attach foot cuffs on divers who hardly realize what’s happening.