United States Navy Marine Mammal Program The U . S . Navy Marine Mammal Program ( NMMP ) is a program administered by the U . S . Navy which studies the military use of marine mammal s - principally bottlenose dolphin s and California sea lion s - and trains animals to perform tasks such as ship and harbor protection , mine detection and clearance , and equipment recovery . The program is based in San Diego , California , where animals are housed and trained on an ongoing basis . NMMP animal teams have been deployed for use in combat zones , such as during the Vietnam War and the Iraq War . The program has been dogged by controversy over the treatment of the animals and speculation as to the nature of its mission and training . This has been due at least in part to the secrecy of the program , which was de - classified in the early 1990s . Since the program ’ s inception , there have been ongoing animal welfare concerns , with many opposing the use of marine mammals in military applications , even in essentially non - combatant roles such as mine detection . The Navy cites external oversight , including ongoing monitoring , in defense of its animal care standards . It has been reported that the program will come to a close beginning in 2017 , when the mammals will be replaced by robotic mine - hunters such as the General Dynamics Knifefish . History . The origins of the program date back to 1960 , when a Pacific White - sided Dolphin was acquired for hydrodynamic studies seeking to improve torpedo performance . The aim was to determine whether dolphins had a sophisticated drag - reduction system , but the technology of the day failed to demonstrate that dolphins have any unusual capabilities in this respect . This research has now resumed with the benefit of modern - day technology ; among the possible drag - reducing mechanisms being studied for human use are skin compliance , biopolymer s , and boundary - layer heating . In 1962 , the animals ' intelligence , exceptional diving ability , and trainability led to the foundation of a new research program at Point Mugu , California , where a research facility was built on a sand spit between Mugu Lagoon and the ocean . The intention was to study the dolphins ' senses and capabilities , such as their natural sonar and deep - diving physiology , and to determine how dolphins and sea lions might be used to perform useful tasks , such as searching for and marking objects in the water . A major accomplishment was the discovery that trained dolphins and sea lions could be reliably worked untethered in the open sea . In 1965 , a Navy dolphin named Tuffy participated in the SEALAB II project off La Jolla , California , carrying tools and messages between the surface and the habitat 200 feet ( 60 m ) below . Tuffy was also trained to locate and guide lost divers to safety . In 1967 the NMMP was classified and has since evolved into a major black budget program . The Point Mugu facility and its personnel were relocated to Point Loma in San Diego , and placed under the control of the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center San Diego . Additionally , a laboratory was established in Hawaii at the Marine Corps Air Station on Kāneohe Bay at the Northern end of Mokapu Peninsula . However , in 1993 , as the result of the Base Realignment and Closure process , the Hawaii lab was closed and the majority of the animals were moved to San Diego ; some animals remained , as part of a program of joint research between the Navy and the University of Hawaiʻi . The program . The Navy Marine Mammal Program is based in San Diego , California , as part of SSC San Diego . The animals are trained in San Diego Bay ; dolphin handlers can frequently be seen on the bay , where specialized small boats are used to transport dolphins between their pens and the training areas . Other locations are sometimes used for specific research , such as San Clemente Island in the Channel Islands of California , and torpedo test ranges in Seattle and Canada . The program ' s stated animal activities include protecting ports and Navy assets from swimmer attack , locating and assisting in the recovery of expensive exercise and training targets , and locating potentially dangerous sea mines . There are five marine mammal teams , each trained for a specific type of mission . Each human - animal team is known in military jargon by a " mark " number ( MK for short ) ; the five teams are called " MK 4 " , " MK 5 " , " MK 6 " , " MK 7 " , and " MK 8 " . The MK 4 , 7 and 8 teams use dolphins ; MK 5 uses sea lions , and MK 6 uses both sea lions and dolphins . These teams can be deployed at 72 hours ' notice by ship , aircraft , helicopter , and land vehicle to regional conflicts or staging areas around the world . Mine hunting . Three of the marine mammal teams are trained to detect enemy sea mines , which constitute a major hazard to U . S . Navy ships . MK 4 uses dolphins to detect and mark the location of tethered sea mines floating off the bottom , while MK 7 dolphins are trained to detect and mark the location of mines on the sea floor or buried in sediment . The MK 8 team is trained to swiftly identify safe corridors for the initial landing of troops ashore . In operations , a dolphin awaits a cue from its handler before starting to search a specific area using its natural echolocation . The dolphin reports back to its handler , giving particular responses to communicate whether a target object is detected . If a mine - like target is detected , the handler sends the dolphin to mark the location of the object by releasing a buoy , so it can be avoided by Navy vessels or neutralized by Navy divers . Mine - clearance dolphins were deployed to the Persian Gulf during the Iraq War in 2003 . The Navy said these dolphins were effective in helping to detect more than 100 antiship mines and underwater booby trap s from the port of Umm Qasr . Force protection . MK 6 uses dolphins and sea lions as sentries to protect harbor installations and ships against unauthorized human swimmers . MK 6 was first operationally deployed with dolphins during the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1975 and in Bahrain from 1986 to 88 . When an enemy diver is detected by a dolphin , the dolphin approaches from behind and bumps a device into the back of the enemy ' s air tank . This device is attached to a buoy which then floats to the surface , alerting the Navy personnel of the intruder . Sea lions carry a similar device in their mouth , but instead attach it by hand - cuffing one of the enemy ' s limbs . The animals depend on their superior underwater senses and swimming ability to defend against counterattacks . Object recovery . MK 5 is dedicated to the recovery of test equipment that is fired from ships or dropped from planes into the ocean ; the team uses California Sea Lions to locate and attach recovery hardware to underwater objects such as practice mines . In this role they can out - perform human divers , who are restricted to short working times and limited repeat diving . This team first demonstrated its capabilities when it recovered an ASROC ( Anti Submarine Rocket ) from a depth of 180 feet ( 50 m ) in November 1970 . The team has trained in the recovery of dummy victims in a simulated airplane crash . Attack missions . The Navy says that it has never trained its marine mammals for attack missions against people or ships . The Navy stated that since dolphins cannot discern the difference between enemy and friendly vessels , or divers and swimmers , this would be a haphazard means of warfare ; instead , the animals are trained to detect all mines and swimmers in an area of concern , and to report back to their handlers , who then decide upon an appropriate response . The U . S . Navy has an arsenal of more conventional weapons which can be used to attack enemy ships in harbor , such as the Mark 48 torpedo , the Mark 67 submarine - launched mobile mine , and the Mark 60 Captor mine . A single attack submarine could deliver up to forty Mark 67 mines in one mission , each carrying a 230 kg warhead , at a distance up to 5 – 7 miles ( 8 – 10 km ) . This is a significantly more powerful and more consistent capability than could be realized by the use of dolphins ( presumably submarine - delivered to an enemy harbor ) . However , a submarine is much more likely to be detected as a threat than a marine mammal . Animals . The Navy identifies the following animal species as having been used or studied by the program at various times : Bottlenose Dolphins and California Sea Lions are the main animals used , and are kept at the base in San Diego . Dolphins have powerful biological sonar , unmatched by artificial sonar technology in detecting objects in the water column and on the sea floor . Sea lions lack this , but have very sensitive underwater directional hearing and exceptional vision in low - light conditions . Both of these species are trainable and capable of repetitive deep diving . As of the late 1990s , about 140 marine mammals were part of the program . Animal welfare . There has been controversy related to alleged mistreatment of animals in the program , and controversy continues over the use of marine mammals for military purposes . The Navy ' s policy requires that only positive reinforcement techniques be used in the training of their animals , and that they be cared for in accordance with accepted standards . The NMMP says it complies strictly with United States Department of Defense requirements and federal laws regarding the proper care of the animals , including the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Animal Welfare Act . The program is listed as an accredited institution by the Association for the Accreditation of Animal Laboratory Animal Care ( AAALAC ) , whose voluntary accreditation program requires research programs to demonstrate that they meet standards of animal care beyond those required by law . As a standard targeted at laboratory animals , this accreditation requires a specific standard of general animal care , but does not set restrictions on the purposes for which the animals are used . The NMMP is also listed as a member of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums . The NMMP protocols for both care and research must be approved by an institutional animal care and use committee ( IACUC ) . The NMMP IACUC includes non - NMMP researchers , veterinarians , and members of the community . The use of marine mammals by the Navy , even in accordance with the Navy ' s stated policy , continues to meet opposition . Opponents cite the inevitable stresses involved in this type of training , which is contrary to the animals ' natural lifestyles , particularly regarding their confinement when not training . There is continuing controversy over the use of anti - foraging devices , such as muzzles , which prevent the dolphins from foraging for food while working . The Navy states that this is to prevent their ingesting harmful objects , but opponents say that this is done to reinforce the handlers ' control over the dolphins , which is based on food rewards . The re - integration and / or extended care of " retired " animals is also a concern . The field use of the animals is also an issue for some critics , partly because of the stresses involved in transportation — particularly where dolphins are transported on dry carriers — as well as stresses arising from the sudden transplantation of the animals into an unfamiliar environment . Dolphins native to areas in which NMMP dolphins are introduced can also pose a threat , since they are known to defend their territory from intruders . Other people raise the issue of hazards to the animals in their working environments . The risk of accidental detonation of a mine by an animal is of concern to some ; the Navy maintains that the chances of this are minimal , because the animals are trained not to touch the mines , which in any case are specifically designed not to be detonated by marine animals . Another fear is that opposing forces , aware of mine - hunting dolphins in a given area , may shoot dolphins in the water , leading to deaths of both NMMP and native animals . In the media . The NMMP has received much sensational coverage in the media , in some part because of the unusual nature of the program and the controversial concept of using intelligent marine mammals for military purposes . The NMMP was classified until the early 1990s , which also contributed to speculation about its true nature and even its proper title , with some referring to it as the " Cetacean Intelligence Mission " . From time to time , stories have surfaced in the media claiming that military dolphins trained for attack missions , or even equipped with weaponry , have escaped and pose a danger to the public , but the Navy has stated that its dolphins have never been trained for any kind of attack mission against ships or people . During Hurricane Katrina in 2005 , there were media reports that some of the Navy ' s dolphins , equipped with poison dart guns and trained to attack hostile swimmers in the water , escaped when their containment area in Lake Pontchartrain was breached , posing a threat to swimmers . However , the Navy reported that all of its dolphins were accounted for , and that its only dolphin training centre is in San Diego . During the hurricane , some dolphins did escape from the unrelated Marine Life Oceanarium in Gulfport , Mississippi , and were subsequently recaptured . In fiction . The concept of military dolphins has been explored in fiction , notably in the film " The Day of the Dolphin " ( Mike Nichols , 1973 ) loosely based on the novel " Un animal doué de la raison " ( " A Sentient Animal " , 1967 ) by Robert Merle . Vonda McIntyre published a short story titled " The End ' s Beginning " with this theme in 1976 ; it was later collected in the anthology " Fireflood " . The William Gibson short story " Johnny Mnemonic " and its film adaptation also featured a cyborg dolphin Navy veteran named " Jones " with a talent for decryption , and a heroin addiction . The TV series " seaQuest DSV " featured a trained dolphin , Darwin , as a member of the crew . Dolphins armed with sonar cannons were also portrayed in the popular video games " Red Alert 2 " and " Red Alert 3 " . The writer David Brin ' s book " Startide Rising " is about genetically engineered dolphins crewing a spaceship . In the " " USS " Enterprise " ( NCC - 1701 - D ) Blueprints by Rick Sternbach there are multiple cetacea n operations locations on decks 13 & 14 .