Critics Target Navy Dolphin Defense Plan

As a former Navy EOD Technician I worked the marine mammal programs two different times through the 1980’s and 1990’s. Both stints were 2-3 years each. During that time there were always various groups protesting things just like this.
My experience was that the navy / EOD community was incredibly cautious with every aspect of the handling, health, and welfare of the animals. The food standards were as great or greater than fresh restaurant food. Each system / group had a veterinarian technician assigned and all animals received at least a daily check of their health conditions. We also had veterinarians who were very much involved. Lastly, the animals were mixed and allowed to play/socialize. They were also worked in open ocean nearly every day and had they wanted to “run” there was nothing you could have done about it.
I found the capabilities of the animals to be simply amazing. Although we/man may be able to build a more powerful sonar we don’t have the processing abilities of the animals. We don’t have the underwater hearing and eyesight of a sea lion.
So critics come and critics go, but there are always critics around the mammal programs. Few if any of them know much about the programs so with my experience; I’ll place my trust in the navy on this one. I know how they are treated and how careful the program is ran. The navy has investigated millions of dollars in these programs and is not in the business of harming them. Go Navy and Hooyah EOD!

The palestinans are no doubt looking into this technology to make suicide dolphins. They already use bomb-rigged donkeys.

DAn, you've listed the following:

1: The dolphins get good food.
2: The dolphins get good medical care.
3: The dolphins get to play and socialize.

I would expect the Navy to feed the dolphins well since they are so important to the program. I would expect the dolphins to get good medical care since they are so important to the program. I wish American workers got such good medical care.

But I don't see anywhere in your post a response to the allegations of the story:

That it's harmful for the dolphins to go out into extremely cold waters for two hour stints and then back into tropical waters back at the base.

Of course, the Navy physiologist is the only person quoted in the story and of course, he thinks it's perfectly fine. You know, like scientsts being paid by the cigarette industry used to regularly say smoking was perfectly safe for you.

I'd rather an independent marine biologist would chime in on this subject.

Pensword wrote:

DAn, you've listed the following:
1: The dolphins get good food.
2: The dolphins get good medical care.
3: The dolphins get to play and socialize.
I would expect the Navy to feed the dolphins well since they are so important to the program. I would expect the dolphins to get good medical care since they are so important to the program. I wish American workers got such good medical care.
But I don't see anywhere in your post a response to the allegations of the story:
That it's harmful for the dolphins to go out into extremely cold waters for two hour stints and then back into tropical waters back at the base.
Of course, the Navy physiologist is the only person quoted in the story and of course, he thinks it's perfectly fine. You know, like scientsts being paid by the cigarette industry used to regularly say smoking was perfectly safe for you.
I'd rather an independent marine biologist would chime in on this subject.

Like Dan, I too was USN EOD assigned to the MMS. The only thing that I can add to this discussion is that regardless of the conditions, water temp etc. these animals lived far longer than there counterparts found in the wild. Also, it was far more common to take the animals to warm water than cold.

KEOD wrote:

<quoted text>
Like Dan, I too was USN EOD assigned to the MMS. The only thing that I can add to this discussion is that regardless of the conditions, water temp etc. these animals lived far longer than there counterparts found in the wild. Also, it was far more common to take the animals to warm water than cold.

That's interesting. How long do their counterparts in the wild live btw? And how long do the dolphins in the program live? You should know the answer to both questions, since you've made the claim that the ones in your care lived "far longer" than their counterparts found in the wild.

I'll await your answer.