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The Navy uses hardware and unarmed instrumented test equipment that may be fired from ships or dropped from planes into the ocean. Traditionally, these items were recovered by human divers. However, humans are restricted to short periods of working time on the bottom. They are also hampered by poor visibility, currents, and the requirement for medical personnel, a decompression chamber, and other surface support. To meet this need, the Navy developed the MK 5 Marine Mammal System (MMS).
The MK 5 MMS became operational in 1975 and uses California sea lions to locate and attach recovery hardware to underwater objects such as practice mines. Some of these mines are equipped with a device called a pinger that sends out a beeping sound to help the sea lion locate them. For this, the sea lion may have to dive to depths of 500 feet or more. The sea lion recovery system consists of a small rubber boat, a sea lion, and two or three handlers. When the boat arrives at the recovery site, the sea lion is sent over the side and given a bite plate to which an attachment device is mounted. The sea lion locates the object by using its exceptional hearing to locate the pinger attached to the shape. A strong line tied to the bite plate is payed out from the boat as the sea lion swims down to the object and attaches the device. To be sure the connection is good, the sea lion tests it by pulling back on it a few times. The sea lion then releases the bite plate and returns to the boat for a well-deserved reward of fish while a crane is used to pull the object off the bottom.
