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Russia is said to be training dolphins again to fend off enemy divers. But whether that is true is uncertain.
Why is? Various media reported a few days ago that Russia had reinforced its military base in Crimea with combat dolphins. The reason for this report is that footage from the port of Sevastopol shows that the number of floating pens has almost doubled. These recordings are documented – the interpretation that they are so-called battle dolphins, however, comes from the British Ministry of Defence.
What’s the point of the story? “Nothing,” says Ulrich Karlowski. He is a board member of the German Foundation for Marine Conservation and, among other things, an expert on dolphins. “There is no reliable evidence whatsoever that Russia has combat dolphins again.” During the Cold War there were such. “This rumor is now only being spread to create confusion. That was also successful.” In his opinion, the Russians would have no advantage at all if they started training combat dolphins again.
But combat dolphins are not an invention? No, according to the US Naval Institute, the Soviet Navy developed several marine mammal programs during the Cold War, including one with the so-called combat dolphins near Sevastopol. The USA also kept dolphins and sea lions during the Cold War.
How can dolphins be used militarily? As Karlowski of the German Foundation for Marine Conservation says, dolphins can be trained to spot enemy divers and mines and report this to their trainers. Dolphins are very intelligent animals and can be trained in much the same way as dogs.
Legend:
A dolphin training with the US Navy in the Arabian Gulf.
Reuters/US Navy/Brien Aho
Can dolphins hurt or kill people? No. Also, the so-called combat dolphins do not kill or injure the divers who track them. Karlowski says: “These are all just untenable rumors.” Quite apart from the fact that Ukraine should be able to send divers or mines to the port of Sevastopol at all.
What distinguishes dolphins? Their ability to echolocate, their extreme speed and body control allow them to see and locate in all environmental conditions, unlike human divers. humans can’t do that.
What does Russia say about this? Moscow speaks of disinformation from London.