Russians are using trained dolphins at war. They'll protect the base in Crimea
Russia is strengthening the defense of its naval bases in Crimea. It is doing this by employing both traditional and proven methods, as well as more surprising solutions. The American service Naval News noted that the Russians are once again using dolphins to enhance their security. Enclosures for them have been spotted at a base located in Novoozernoye, in the central part of northwestern Crimea.
Naval News has obtained satellite images that indicate the placement of trained dolphins at another base in Crimea. Following the port in Sevastopol, it's now the turn of the Russian naval base in Novoozerny, where missile corvettes, landing ships, and a submarine support vessel are stationed. According to the service, pens for marine mammals began to appear here at the end of August and were noticed in September. Their construction coincides with a period of intensification of operations conducted by Ukrainian special forces in the northern part of the Black Sea. The dolphins are intended to be a remedy specifically for the Ukrainian specials.
Russia strengthens bases in Crimea
As we have already reported, in mid-June, experts from Naval News noticed evidence that Russia has doubled the number of trained dolphins defending the naval base in Sevastopol, Crimea. Citing their analysis, the service highlighted that the number of pens for these mammals likely increased from 3-4 to 6-7. At that time, there were also voices suggesting that such actions indicated fears of an attack by Ukrainian special forces, including elite divers, as well as pointing to an increase in the number of patrols performed by dolphins or an expansion of the area that is controlled in this way.
Trained mammals, belonging to the common bottlenose dolphin species were supposed to be an additional safeguard alongside anti-torpedo nets and the military equipment stationed here. The Russians have moved to Sevastopol, among others, the 9K330 Tor guided missile systems, the S-300 and S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems, electronic warfare systems, and the DP-62 Zapora anti-diversion system, whose task is to combat divers and sea drones.
Conventional solutions, however, may not be adequate protection against Ukrainians, who, since the start of the war, have already identified weak points in Russian military bases. They are also developing a considerable number of drones with significant range, including marine drones like the Sea Baby, or Marichka. These solutions have repeatedly shown their capabilities. For example, the unmanned Sea Baby vehicle was supposed to be used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to attack the Crimean Bridge in August of this year.
Dolphins protecting sea bases
Russians are keen to use trained dolphins, as they have a significant advantage over humans in terms of the capabilities they can achieve under the water surface. Not long ago, the Science Alert service noted that bottlenose dolphins can reach speeds of about 18 mph in the water, and the best swimmers only about 6 mph. This means that these marine mammals can swim up to three times faster than a diver. Combined with other more traditional protections in Sevastopol, this allows for the efficient detection of an approaching enemy and the implementation of appropriate measures. Some sources suggest that the animals may even have been trained to kill divers, but this has never been proven.
However, it cannot be forgotten that the great depths are a natural environment for dolphins. These mammals handle themselves excellently underwater - they are fast, agile, and adapted to hunting. This, in combination with their surprising intelligence, gives perfect foundations for training and creating a "natural weapon". For comparison, the encephalization quotient, which is used to measure intelligence, for dolphins ranges from 4 to 5. In the case of humans, this quotient reaches a value of 7, and for chimpanzees, it is 2.5.
The use of dolphins for military purposes is nothing new, and Russia is not the only country that has created and developed such programs. Naval News reminds us that similar activities were carried out by the United States and Sweden, and it is also suspected that they were carried out in Israel and North Korea. For example, during the Cold War, Russia and the U.S. used the dolphins' echolocation abilities to detect underwater objects such as mines.
For military purposes, other animals were also trained, including belugas. Another example is the American Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) "Acoustic Kitty" program from the 1960s, which aimed to turn cats into useful spies. The animals were to infiltrate places where traditional agents did not have access and without arousing unnecessary suspicions, gather information about high-ranking matters.
