Fresh out of training from the United States Space and Naval Warfare Center, the U.S.'s latest secret agents are slipping into the waters of the Persian Gulf. But this team is a breed apart from other troops. The military's new secret weapons are a barking brood of sea lions!
The U.S. Navy is training the marine mammals to help protect docked warships from attacks. "If there is somebody down there who shouldn't be, the sea lions will find him," says Lieutenant J.G. Josh Frey of the Navy's Fifth Fleet. He is working with 20 sea lions on test missions in the Persian Gulf.
The sea lions are trained to alert humans when they detect an intruding diver and to mark the intruder by putting a clamp on his leg. The sea lions, who swim up to 25 miles per hour, can zip away before the diver even knows they are there.
NATURAL-BORN NAVY DIVERS
Tom Lapuzza, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy, says sea lions were carefully chosen for the job because they move quickly and can see and hear better in shallow water than humans or mechanical devices. "They chase fish around in order to eat--that is how they live and survive," he says. "We just use that capability and tell them we want them to find a diver or swimmer."
Some animal-rights groups have expressed concern about the safety of the animals on such missions, but Lapuzza says there is "almost no threat" to them. The sea lions are out of harm's way because they are not involved in attacks or combat. Their task is simply to detect and mark intruders so human sailors can investigate and take further action.
When they are not at work, the sea lions are kept in a large enclosure where they can socialize and rest. They are also rewarded with large meals of their favorite fish. These slippery sailors seem happy, says Brenda Bryan, their trainer: "They have adapted really well!"
SEA MAMMALS IN SERVICE Sea lions are not the only animals used in defense missions. Navys have been relying on the unique skills of marine mammals for decades. Dolphins were first used in the 1960s to deliver supplies to underwater sea labs. The one pictured "fought" for the former Soviet Union. Dolphins also defended U.S. Navy fleets during the Vietnam War. Beluga whales were recruited to detect explosives and watch for underwater intruders. Both species still work in military operations today.