The Morning Report
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The Washington Post had an interesting story this weekend about the Navy’s marine mammal program. They’re training dolphins and sea lions to identify and cuff terrorists. The program is based in San Diego.
Reporter Blaine Harden writes:
Swimming through the water in spurts of up to 30 mph, the dolphin seeks out and bumps the swimmer with a “nose cup.” The device releases a strobe that rises to the surface. An armed Navy security team speeds toward the flashing light.
Alternatively, a sea lion collars swimmers around the piers of the naval base. Sea lions have excellent underwater hearing and, with their large eyes, can see underwater five times as well as people. Carrying a C-shaped leg cuff in its mouth, a sea lion dives, approaches the swimmer from behind and snaps the cuff around one ankle.