They call him Flipper - Armed Dolphins Released Into Gulf of Mexico
"The Guardian is reporting on what may be the weirdest Hurricane Katrina story yet. Military trained dolphins may have been released into the wild by the Hurricane's devastation." From the article: "Experts who have studied the U.S. navy's cetacean training exercises claim the 36 mammals could be carrying 'toxic dart' guns. Divers and surfers risk attack, they claim, from a species considered to be among the planet's smartest. The U.S. navy admits it has been training dolphins for military purposes, but has refused to confirm that any are missing. Dolphins have been trained in attack-and-kill missions since the Cold War. The U.S. Atlantic bottlenose dolphins have apparently been taught to shoot terrorists attacking military vessels. Their coastal compound was breached during the storm, sweeping them out to sea. But those who have studied the controversial use of dolphins in the U.S. defence programme claim it is vital they are caught quickly."
Leo Sheridan, 72, a respected accident investigator who has worked for government and industry, said he had received intelligence from sources close to the US government's marine fisheries service confirming dolphins had escaped.
'My concern is that they have learnt to shoot at divers in wetsuits who have simulated terrorists in exercises. If divers or windsurfers are mistaken for a spy or suicide bomber and if equipped with special harnesses carrying toxic darts, they could fire,' he said. 'The darts are designed to put the target to sleep so they can be interrogated later, but what happens if the victim is not found for hours?'
Usually dolphins were controlled via signals transmitted through a neck harness. 'The question is, were these dolphins made secure before Katrina struck?' said Sheridan.
The mystery surfaced when a separate group of dolphins was washed from a commercial oceanarium on the Mississippi coast during Katrina. Eight were found with the navy's help, but the dolphins were not returned until US navy scientists had examined them.
Sheridan is convinced the scientists were keen to ensure the dolphins were not the navy's, understood to be kept in training ponds in a sound in Louisiana, close to Lake Pontchartrain, whose waters devastated New Orleans.
The navy launched the classified Cetacean Intelligence Mission in San Diego in 1989, where dolphins, fitted with harnesses and small electrodes planted under their skin, were taught to patrol and protect Trident submarines in harbour and stationary warships at sea.
Criticism from animal rights groups ensured the use of dolphins became more secretive. But the project gained impetus after the Yemen terror attack on the USS Cole in 2000. Dolphins have also been used to detect mines near an Iraqi port.
Comments
given that
1. Dolphins are randy buggers,
and
2. There have been numerious reports of *er* unwanted advances (shall we say) by dolphins upon workers at facilities such as Seaworld
I don't trust that photo
Posted by: edgewood | September 26, 2005 08:50 AM
Those were trained "performing" dolphins. The military keeps their trained dolphins in California but came to Gulfport with the tanks they use on their ships to help save these dolphins until they can be relocated to a Sea World park. http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/special_packages/hurricane_katrina/12699181.htm
Posted by: Jana | September 26, 2005 09:56 AM
Yea, that photo is *totally* creepy. I think it's highly unlikely that these dolphins would be roaming the gulf "packing". They probably only wore the harnesses when working ("Flipper, go get the commie!").
Posted by: Bad Cat! | September 26, 2005 11:51 AM
personally, i find flipper very sexy. any love is good love...right?
Posted by: budb | September 26, 2005 02:08 PM
screw the dolphins...if Elle is topless in that pic, i'd like to see a tad more, please.
Posted by: in.dog.neato | September 26, 2005 04:26 PM
Is it too much to ask for fricken sharks with laser beams on their heads???
Posted by: Dr. Evil | September 26, 2005 11:56 PM
finally, an uprising I can get behind...
"Divers and surfers risk attack, they claim, from a species considered to be among the planet's smartest."
Flipper for president!!
Posted by: de man | September 27, 2005 03:16 PM
nah, he'd be impeached for having an affair with an intern
Posted by: edgewood | September 27, 2005 03:47 PM
Let us not forget "So Long And Thanks For All The Fish." by Douglas Adams...the only true intelligence on this planet is, according to the finale' to the Hitchhiker's Guide series, is and always will be...dolphins.
Posted by: in.dog.neato | September 27, 2005 05:13 PM
whoa - smart AND sexy... that's for ME!!!
Posted by: budb | September 28, 2005 12:47 PM
I think that dolphin is smirking.
Posted by: baci | September 29, 2005 07:38 AM
if it were me, i'd be doing a lot more than smirking.
Posted by: in.dog.neato | September 29, 2005 06:55 PM
he may be. that's the trouble w/dolphins - you just don't know what they might be thinking.
Posted by: budb | September 29, 2005 10:46 PM
dolphins are so yesterdays news. you should see what we've trained the sturgeons to do.....
Posted by: c-freak | September 30, 2005 08:51 AM
Dolphins err, why are we as humans placing guns on animals? I know they are the smartest animal, but what happens if they revolt, like now for instance? I love the picture..Looks sexy, I think they're "doin it"!!
Posted by: Angel | September 30, 2005 10:42 AM
candy-ass sturgeons ain't got nothing on the 324th Walleye Commando Brigade based over at Whiteface Reservoir. they're the SEALs of the fish world.
Posted by: in.dog.neato | September 30, 2005 05:19 PM
that's just sad. and gross. but maybe a little more gross than sad. (redux)
Posted by: tamara | September 30, 2005 05:22 PM
some fish don't NEED guns. they just jump right up & bite ya.
Posted by: budb | September 30, 2005 08:48 PM
I wish I was that dolphin...I'd definitely have a smirk on my face if I was rubbing up on Elle's chest. (Do I see nipple?)
Posted by: Richie | September 19, 2007 07:23 AM
shes fit
Posted by: eddy bacon | April 4, 2008 09:54 AM