The Seattle Times

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COURTESY OF THE U.S. NAVY
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Friday, August 27, 2010

Smart and fast, marine mammals are guarding our military bases

A sea lion takes a tethered carabiner down from the surface and attaches it to a decoy at the sea floor while training to recover objects like drones, practice mines and torpedoes. Their training isn't all that complicated, but it can take three to six years working five days a week for a single animal to get it right every time.