Yeah, but are they cleared?

This isn’t necessary new to report, but an article on CNN today details how dolphins and sea lions are providing surveillance to harbors like Puget Sound in Washington, Naval Base Kitsap in Maine, and other locations:

Dozens of dolphins and sea lions trained to detect and apprehend waterborne attackers could be sent on a mission to patrol a military base in Washington state, the U.S. Navy said Monday.

In a notice published in this week’s Federal Register, the Navy said it needs to bolster security at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, located on the Puget Sound close to Seattle. The base is home to submarines, ships and laboratories and is potentially vulnerable to attack by terrorist swimmers and scuba divers, the notice states.

Several options are under consideration, but the preferred plan would be to send as many as 30 California sea lions and Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins from the Navy’s Marine Mammal Program, based in San Diego.

Hey, the dolphins won’t complain about their job, won’t require benefits upon retirement, and just need some fish to keep happy. Now if we could only train them to carry a rifle. Hmmm…