Opposition surfaces to Navy plan to use dolphins, sea lions for Bangor security

Intruders who pose a threat to the Northwest's largest naval base could be up against defenders known for their top-notch sonar, incredible speed — and unmistakably playful grins.

The U.S. Navy wants to use Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, along with California sea lions, to protect against terrorists along Naval Base Kitsap at Bangor on Hood Canal.

The Navy-trained dolphins would find the threatening divers, then make way for the California sea lions to clamp a cuff around the intruder's ankle. A line attached to the cuff would stretch up to a boat on the surface to snag the diver.

The Navy has used these animals for similar stints around the world and to protect another naval base in Georgia. But some scientists and residents oppose the Navy's plan for its Puget Sound base and characterize use of the marine mammals as animal enslavement. At a public hearing in SeaTac last week, the dozen or so who spoke were all against the plan.

"I believe that these animals are being treated like produce," said Toni Frohoff, a Seattle biologist who has studied wild and captive marine mammals.

The Navy is considering the dolphin-sea lion plan along with several other options that include human divers and underwater robots. The public can submit comments on the proposal until March 1, and a final decision is expected in October. If marine mammals are chosen, it would take a year or two before about 30 of the animals are brought to Puget Sound, officials said.

The Navy tried to bring dolphins to its Bangor site nearly 20 years ago, but a lawsuit required a full environmental assessment before the animals could be used. After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the government has pushed for more security at military sites, including Naval Base Kitsap. Bangor is home port to 11 of the country's most sophisticated submarines.

The waterfront at Bangor already has boats, armed guards and a fence built on floats for security, but marine mammals partnered with support boats would help track and capture swimmers, said Greg Leicht, environmental director at the base.

Bottlenose dolphins, who use their natural sonar to move about the ocean, can be trained to find underwater objects, including human divers. A dolphin can swim almost 10 times faster than a diver and bump the intruder with a marker that sends a flashing light to the surface.

But some question whether it's humane to keep dolphins captive and trust them with high-level security operations. Naomi Rose, senior scientist for Human Society International, said dolphins experience stress each time they are removed from water or transported on missions. Chronic stress can lead to sickness or earlier death, she said.

Dolphins don't have a perfect performance record, either. It's normal for the playful animals to become distracted, she said.

"Do you really want to entrust security of a naval base to animals that think it's a game?" said Rose, a marine-mammal biologist. "They do not know they're recruits in the military."

Still, Rose and other scientists acknowledge the Navy's marine mammals receive top-notch veterinary care. The Navy's San Diego-based marine mammal center also leads the field in research.

Veterinarians and trainers regularly check the animals and go along on missions, said Eric Jensen, managing veterinarian for the Navy's program. Trainers get to know the animals and can tell if something's wrong, he said.

Some residents are concerned the Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, out of their natural range in Puget Sound, wouldn't do well in cold water. The Navy has proposed installing heated pens so the animals can rest in warmer water when not on patrol.

The Navy started a similar program at a base in Georgia a few years ago. The dolphins and sea lions have responded to some false alarms but haven't faced a human intruder, said Steve Hugueley, project manager for the Georgia program.

Dolphins were sent Vietnam in the 1970s to help locate threatening divers. Now they are sent on missions around the world to locate underwater mines, retrieve lost objects and protect ships and harbors from attacks.

Michelle Ma: 206-464-2303 or mma@seattletimes.com