NationStates Jolt Archive

It may be the oddest tale to emerge from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Armed dolphins, trained by the US military to shoot terrorists and pinpoint spies underwater, may be missing in the Gulf of Mexico.

Experts who have studied the US 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 US navy admits it has been training dolphins for military purposes, but has refused to confirm that any are missing.

The US 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 US defence programme claim it is vital they are caught quickly.

'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.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/internation...1577753,00.html

I can't believe nobody has pounced on this thread yet. This is hilarious.

Also About the Guardian, I noticed an interesting headline in the Recent Articles column. It said this:
"Jews split by a messianic message"
Well, that article is only 2,000 years late.

i think drunk commies already posted a thread about this...

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=446374

When will you people get it through your heads that The Guardian is NOT a reputable source for news. There are dolphins trained to find divers. There are not poison darts.

For that matter, one does not use dolphins to detect mines. One uses sonar. For that matter, you could use a full sonar ping every 5 minutes to keep your harbor clear of divers if you didn't mind killing every living thing that was underwater at the time of the ping.

So, now we have people posting from the Guardian to prove that killer sharks with lasers on their forheads were released, in stead of people using the Onion to prove that Harry Potter leads to satanism. What an improvement.

I can't believe nobody has pounced on this thread yet. This is hilarious.

Also About the Guardian, I noticed an interesting headline in the Recent Articles column. It said this:
"Jews split by a messianic message"
Well, that article is only 2,000 years late.
maybe they think its some kinda joke but its a true story

When will you people get it through your heads that The Guardian is NOT a reputable source for news. There are dolphins trained to find divers. There are not poison darts.

For that matter, one does not use dolphins to detect mines. One uses sonar. For that matter, you could use a full sonar ping every 5 minutes to keep your harbor clear of divers if you didn't mind killing every living thing that was underwater at the time of the ping.

So, now we have people posting from the Guardian to prove that killer sharks with lasers on their forheads were released, in stead of people using the Onion to prove that Harry Potter leads to satanism. What an improvement.
the seals have GUNS with poisonous darts they were TRAINED by the NAVY to catch and destroy terrorists attacking from underwater but they cant tell the terrorists apart from surfers

Okay, I'm having a plausibility problem. Why would the dolphins be armed while in the pens, especially if a storm is coming? It seems a little ridiculous that they would just leave the 'poison darts' on the dolphins even when they're not training, and especially when a storm is coming.

Didn't read the article, though. Maybe I'm missing something-just seems silly.

http://snopes.com/katrina/rumor/dolphins.asp

That sounds like fun.

You go scuba diving, and you're admiring the fish and coral. Then, you get shot in the ass by a dolphin.

At least they aren't sharks with friggin lasers attatched to their foreheads!

So long and thanks for all the guns! Stupid Americans...

I could go on, and on, and on...

That sounds like fun.

You go scuba diving, and you're admiring the fish and coral. Then, you get shot in the ass by a dolphin.

At least they aren't sharks with friggin lasers attatched to their foreheads!

So long and thanks for all the guns! Stupid Americans...

I could go on, and on, and on...
and the saddest part of this story is that dolphins are supposed to be the nice sharks

Uhhhh.... do you actually believe this, CP?

Uhhhh.... do you actually believe this, CP?
I believe there will come a time when every evil that we know will be an evil that we can rise above

I believe there will come a time when every evil that we know will be an evil that we can rise above
o_0

For that matter, one does not use dolphins to detect mines. One uses sonar.

Dolphins use sonar.

Ergo...


:D

I still say the dolphins armed themselves in response to the tuna industry catching too many of them in fishing nets.

http://snopes.com/katrina/rumor/dolphins.asp
BAH
there nothing more then professional skeptics that have faith in NOTHING--Heretics ALL

Dolphins use sonar.

Ergo...


:D

I still say the dolphins armed themselves in response to the tuna industry catching too many of them in fishing nets.
that would be a leigitimate use of firearms for the oppressed sea life--the tuna industry is inhuman to wantonly murder our allies underwater who save our lives when we get shipwrecked. Anyone who murders a dolphon (unless its in self defense) should be harpooned on World TV

I believe there will come a time when every evil that we know will be an evil that we can rise above
Ummm.... way to not answer the question [it was, in fact, a 'yes' or' no' query]. I think you might have a promising future in politics.

I knew it. The dolphins are planning to supplant us.

Ummm.... way to not answer the question [it was, in fact, a 'yes' or' no' query]. I think you might have a promising future in politics.
thats one of my goals :)

oh yeah as a general rule I think its safer to believe as many things as possible

I knew it. The dolphins are planning to supplant us.
or liberate their comrades from the corporate tuna nets

http://snopes.com/katrina/rumor/dolphins.asp
OMG, that's what they WANT you to believe!
But it's true, it's really true!

I mean there were the LANDSHARKS exposed on Saturday Night Live back in the 1980s! Doesn't anyone think for THEMSELVES any more?!





and when I fart, fairies fly out of my pants. :p

Even though the source lacks some credibility, I still find it believable as I know that the Navy has been shamelessly training dolphins for such purposes, and it sounds like our military to keep them somewhere that's very vulnerable xp

stop the Militarization of Sea Life--we cannot live in a world programmed for Death

I believe there will come a time when every evil that we know will be an evil that we can rise above
There will come a time when you can even take your clothes off when you dance-!

Wah-wah-wah-wah-h-h-h-h!

(la-la-la-la-la-la-la...)

ARE THOSE FREAKIN SHARKS WITH FREAKIN LASER BEAMS ATTACHED TO THEIR FREAKIN HEADS??????!!!!!!!!!!!1111111111111111111oneoneone

There will come a time when you can even take your clothes off when you dance-!

Wah-wah-wah-wah-h-h-h-h!

(la-la-la-la-la-la-la...)
who cares if your so poor you cant afford to buy a pair of mod go-go stretch elastic pants :D

ARE THOSE FREAKIN SHARKS WITH FREAKIN LASER BEAMS ATTACHED TO THEIR FREAKIN HEADS??????!!!!!!!!!!!1111111111111111111oneoneone
do lasers work underwater?

anyway its a more merciful way to die then being ripped apart limb from limb by a shark so I guess its an evolutionary improvement--kinda like a microwave for sharks

do lasers work underwater?

anyway its a more merciful way to die then being ripped apart limb from limb by a shark so I guess its an evolutionary improvement--kinda like a microwave for sharks
who cares? way to ruin a movie quote

If this is true,it's a terrible idea.Mainly cos dolphins dont know the difference between terrorists and anyone else.That and it gives the terrrorists an idea.just wait and we'll have suicide shark bombers.or flying fish with c4 attached