Topic: Working Dolphins

[nichi]

    

SAN DIEGO, California (AP) — Koa, an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, will do anything for a fresh fish — including alerting her U.S. Navy handlers to potential terrorists.

Koa is one of about 100 marine mammals housed at Naval Base Point Loma, located on a scenic peninsula jutting into San Diego Harbor.

Officials at the base briefly opened their doors to the media Thursday for the first time since the start of the war in Iraq. The demonstration came a few weeks after the Navy announced plans to ship up to 30 dolphins and sea lions to patrol the waters of Washington state’s Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, home to nuclear submarines, ships and laboratories.

Even in today’s high-tech world of underwater robotics and unmanned vehicles, the Navy says animals like Koa are its best line of defense against attacks from the sea.

“Biologically, they are better than anything we have ever made,” said Mike Rothe, head of science for the Navy’s marine mammal program.

About 75 dolphins and 25 sea lions are in the program. Both species can find mines and swimmers in murky waters. Working in unison, the dolphins are trained to drop a flashing light by the target, while sea lions can attach a tether to it.

The Navy’s sea mammal program started in the late 1950s and grew to comprise 140 animals during the Cold War. Dolphins helped protect a pier in the Vietnam War. A veteran from that conflict, a dolphin nearing 50 years of age, still lives in San Diego at the naval base.

The last time the marine mammals were deployed overseas was in the Iraqi harbor of Umm Qasr in 2003, where they located underwater mines and cleared a path for Marines to land. They also were used in San Diego in 1996 when they patrolled the bay during the Republican Party’s national convention.

Rogue swimmers planting bombs pose a real threat, said Cmdr. Jon Wood, who deployed to Iraq with the mammals. He said there were several cases of insurgent forces laying charges on floating objects in Vietnam.

In response to questions about whether the animals have been trained to attack, officials said no.

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[Zamurito]

Manna 
 
  Dolphin...
   Breathe with me.
       Breath of the Divine,
           Manna of the Universe,
               In Oneness we entwine. 
 
 
                     
                Dolphin speaks to us of the breath of life, the only thing that humans cannot go without for more than a few minutes.  We can live without water and food for days, but oxygen is the source of our sustenance.  Within the breath we encounter the rhythm of energy that all life emits.  In changing the rate or rhythmic texture of our breath, we can tap into any other life-form or creature.  This is a very easy way to connect with divine energy coming from Great Spirit, as well as with your own personal rhythms.


                Dolphin is the keeper of the sacred breath of  life, and teaches us how to release emotions through Dolphin breath.  Dolphin creates rhythm, swimming through the water and breathing before submerging, then holding its breath for the duration of underwater travel.  As Dolphin comes above water again, it blows its breath out in a manner resembling the popping of a cork.  We can use this same technique to pull the stopper on our tensions and create total relaxation.  This is a good exercise to use before entering the silence.


                 Manna is life force.  Manna is present in every atom, and is Great Spirit's essence.  Dolphin teaches us how to use life-manna through our breath.  It revitalizes each cell and organ, and breaks the limits and dimensions of physical reality so that we may enter the Dreamtime.


                If Dolphin has appeared to you today, by choosing this card, you are to be a link to some solution for the Children of Earth.  This can be a time when you are to link with Great Spirit and bring answers to your own questions or to those of others.  In addition, this can mean a time of communication with the rhythms of nature.  You are put on notice to be mindful of your body rhythms and the patterns of energy being fed to you from the Creator. Imitate Dolphin and ride the waves of laughter, spreading joy in the world.  Breathe and experience the manna so freely given.