Ukranian attack dolphins

[McGrupp]

Ukranian military has lost 3 specially trained dolphins who are now on the loose.

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/03/ukrainian-attack-dolphins-on-the-loose/273943/

"attack enemy combat swimmers using special knives or pistols fixed to their heads."

There is no word on whether they are 'ill tempered' or if mutated sea bass are involved.

[McGrupp]

Update: Its a hoax.

More info when I have time.

Takeaway point: excitedly posting news story in 10 minutes before morning meeting might not be a good thing.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

 

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

There's WOMPage in this story someplace. 

[McGrupp]

Retraction from the atlantic:
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/03/update-ukrainian-military-dolphins-not-actually-on-the-loose/273943/

Update! Sad news, friends. It turns out that one piece of the Ukrainian dolphin story is, in fact, a hoax. No dolphins from the Ukrainian army's complement have actually escaped, according to this newspaper report. The hoax began with this faked report from the museum director, which led to a story by RIA Novosti. The strangest thing about this is how plausible the whole thing actually is. Gregg studies dolphins for a living and did not seem skeptical. That's because the US and Ukrainian military do indeed have dolphins, which they've been, according to previous reports, training for combat. A reader wrote in to tell me that when he was a young sailor in Turkey, this beluga whale was rumored to have escaped from a military installation in Crimea. That is to say, the oddest part of this story -- that dolphins have regularly been used in the military -- is unchanged. But the specifics turn out to be a hoax. Our apologies for the mistake. In recompense, allow me to give you this video about the history of militarized dolphins.

So apparently militarized dolphins do exist. The hoax part is that they are on the loose........so far.

[Elder Iptuous]

i know that they use dolphins for rescue missions and finding mines for clearing...

[McGrupp]

A much more positive example of dolphins and humans working together.
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/47254991#.UUO2Elc17IU

The dolphins herd the fish into nets and in return the fishermen share the catch with them

Scientists had known that dolphins work together to herd groups of mullet, a fish that's an important source of food for local fishermen, toward a line of fishermen in boats or knee-deep water. Then the dolphins signal with specialized head or tail slaps when and where the fishermen should throw their nets. The cooperation is helpful to both parties, researchers said. The two wouldn't survive without each other.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

A much more positive example of dolphins and humans working together.
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/47254991#.UUO2Elc17IU

The dolphins herd the fish into nets and in return the fishermen share the catch with them

Scientists had known that dolphins work together to herd groups of mullet, a fish that's an important source of food for local fishermen, toward a line of fishermen in boats or knee-deep water. Then the dolphins signal with specialized head or tail slaps when and where the fishermen should throw their nets. The cooperation is helpful to both parties, researchers said. The two wouldn't survive without each other.

That's utterly beautiful in a way Western society isn't really set up to recognize.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

The most interesting line in the article is

The researchers aren't sure what separates these groups.

But, of course, it's obvious what separates them. It's the culture of the cooperative dolphin group, which means that the group and its offspring have learned that they benefit from cooperating with local fishermen, and that they teach this cooperation from generation to generation just as the fishermen do.

[Telarus]

Neat!

[McGrupp]

My favorite part is that the dolphins have the option of deciding to opt out if they decide to. True cooperation.

[East Coast Hustle]

i know that they use dolphins for rescue missions and finding mines for clearing...

They also train them to plant mines on ship hulls, though I have no idea if that's ever been used outside of a training context.