Introduction

Animals

Training

Fleet Systems

Mine Hunting

Force Protection

Object Recovery

Fleet Support

Deployments

Marine Mammal Health Care

Research Programs

NMMP FAQs

Calendar Wallpaper

Internship Program

In The News

Organizational Chart

Annotated Bibliography

"´You take a handful of dolphins and you clear a waterway and can feed hundreds of thousands of people," said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Charles Owens from his station in Qatar. "It's a minor part, but it has a huge ripple effect…The animal world helped us out today.´" (Newsday Long Island, Suffolk Edition, Saturday 29 March 2003)

"´It is reassuring to know that we can put our anti-swimmer dolphins where we need them rapidly and successfully in order to protect our sailors, ships and high-value assets,' said Lt. Cmdr. Martin Anderson of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command's Special Operations Branch.´" (DefenseLINK Monday August 18, 2003)

"In March, Kahili, along with eight other dolphins that are a part of the U.S. Navy's Special Clearance Team One, became the first marine mammals to take part in mine-clearing operations in an active combat situation. Together with Navy SEALS, Marine Corps reconnaissance swimmers, explosive ordnance disposal divers and unmanned undersea vehicles, they helped disarm more than 100 antiship mines and underwater booby traps planted in Umm Qasr's port by Saddam Hussein's forces.
In fact, the team proved so effective that coalition forces were able to open Umm Qasr to ship traffic, including the British supply ship Sir Galahad loaded with rice and other foodstuffs, only a week after hostilities began." (Gasperini,W. (September 2003) "Uncle Sam's Dolphins," Smithsonian, pp. 28-29.)