THE move from military to civilian life is never easy. But for three
Atlantic bottlenose dolphins鈥攅rstwhile employees of the US Navy鈥攖he
transition has proved especially tough.
Eighteen months after being transferred to a private dolphin sanctuary, the
animals are back with their Navy handlers, who say they are seriously
underweight. On 24 May two of the dolphins were released into the wild without
authorisation, prompting officials to take charge of them once more.
The dolphins鈥擩ake, Buck and Luther鈥攚ere among dozens of animals
trained for tasks such as placing mines on enemy ships. They became redundant
when the Cold War ended (This Week, 25 June 1994, p 5).
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In late 1994, the Sugarloaf Dolphin Sanctuary in Florida was given temporary
custody of the animals. But when the sanctuary set Luther and Buck free in the
Gulf of Mexico, it triggered a confrontation with Navy officials, who insist
that the dolphins have lost their ability to survive in the wild.
Within two weeks, the Navy had recaptured the two dolphins. Vets from the
Navy said that both were suffering from malnutrition. Blood tests showed the
animals to be anaemic and dehydrated, according to the Navy. Both had also been
lacerated in a fashion that the Navy says is 鈥渋nconsistent with rake marks
occurring naturally during dolphin-dolphin encounters鈥�. Neither do the cuts
match those caused by boat propellers, the Navy says.
The US Department of Agriculture revoked Sugarloaf鈥檚 licence to hold dolphins
on 7 June. Jake has been confiscated, and returned to the Navy鈥檚 dolphin centre
in San Diego. Federal officials say Jake was also underweight.
Richard O鈥機onnor, the dolphin trainer who worked with the three animals at
Sugarloaf, claims that Luther and Buck were healthy when they swam off after
release. O鈥機onnor, who trained dolphins used in the television show
Flipper, says he spent 18 months working with the three dolphins, gradually
getting them used to life without humans. He says he decided not to release Jake
because the dolphin was not ready for the wild.
O鈥機onnor argues that the three dolphins were thinner than they were in their
Navy days because they had been on a 鈥渨ild鈥� diet, in preparation for release.
鈥淭he Navy went out of its way to sabotage this release,鈥� he claims.
What will happen to the dolphins is unclear. The Navy says it will decide on
the animals鈥� future once they have fully recovered.