Spring Break
Should dolphins be employed to help the military?
Don't bring them into our battles
Rachel Matecki
Issue date: 4/6/07 Section: Opinion
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The United States Navy has a new plan in store for us that throws around the idea of using 30 Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions to guard the waters off the coast of a key submarine base, according to Yahoo! News.
The base, located at Hood Canal in Bangor, Wash., is believed to contain a large stockpile of nuclear weapons, the same article stated. Apparently, these animals would be trained to alert a handler if they detect anyone in the water, heightening the safety of the base.
Now, though it would be amazing and hilarious to see Flipper and friends join the armed forces, this new plan of action of cruel and unethical, in my opinion.
Putting all animal rights gobbledygook aside, it's incredibly obvious that these animals are dolphins and sea lions, not humans. And though they are known for being easily trainable and smarter than most mammals, they're still animals, unable to be as responsible as human beings.
It is possible for our friendly ocean-dwellers to perform these tasks successfully, but why are they needed? Is the Navy running low on applicants, or does it simply want to cut back on salaries? Think about it. You don't exactly need a 401K plan for a dolphin.
Supporters of the idea claim we have been using animals as guardians for thousands of years, which is true, but the task the Navy has prepared for these creatures is a bit more intricate than that of a guard dog.
Officials said these dolphins would work for a couple of hours at a time before they are returned to their enclosures, where the water conditions compare to those of San Diego. However, Susan Scheirman of Bainbridge Island claimed in the Yahoo! article sticking these animals in the conditions of the Kitsap Peninsula would be like "you and me going into a blizzard for two hours and then being put back into a San Diego environment." Who's to say these animals do find trespassers in the water and alert a handler to take care of the situation; who's to say this "intruder" won't hurt the animal first? Train them all you like, but how do we know these animals can perform under pressure or even remember what to do without the close watch of a handler at all times?
The base, located at Hood Canal in Bangor, Wash., is believed to contain a large stockpile of nuclear weapons, the same article stated. Apparently, these animals would be trained to alert a handler if they detect anyone in the water, heightening the safety of the base.
Now, though it would be amazing and hilarious to see Flipper and friends join the armed forces, this new plan of action of cruel and unethical, in my opinion.
Putting all animal rights gobbledygook aside, it's incredibly obvious that these animals are dolphins and sea lions, not humans. And though they are known for being easily trainable and smarter than most mammals, they're still animals, unable to be as responsible as human beings.
It is possible for our friendly ocean-dwellers to perform these tasks successfully, but why are they needed? Is the Navy running low on applicants, or does it simply want to cut back on salaries? Think about it. You don't exactly need a 401K plan for a dolphin.
Supporters of the idea claim we have been using animals as guardians for thousands of years, which is true, but the task the Navy has prepared for these creatures is a bit more intricate than that of a guard dog.
Officials said these dolphins would work for a couple of hours at a time before they are returned to their enclosures, where the water conditions compare to those of San Diego. However, Susan Scheirman of Bainbridge Island claimed in the Yahoo! article sticking these animals in the conditions of the Kitsap Peninsula would be like "you and me going into a blizzard for two hours and then being put back into a San Diego environment." Who's to say these animals do find trespassers in the water and alert a handler to take care of the situation; who's to say this "intruder" won't hurt the animal first? Train them all you like, but how do we know these animals can perform under pressure or even remember what to do without the close watch of a handler at all times?
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