Dolphins can distinguish mine types, Animal method is a first for wartime

CAMP PATRIOT, Kuwait - Meticulously combing their way through themurky waters of Iraq's Umm Qasr port is the U.S. Navy's mostsophisticated mine-detection team - the dolphin platoon. For the pastweek, a crew of Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphins, specially trained tospot lethal mines littering the sea floor, have been scouring thecountry's only deep-water port to allow humanitarian aid to beshipped in. "They are the best," said their trainer, AviationOrdnanceman 1st Class Dee Jennings. "I couldn't see any other way todo it. It would take years for us to clear what they can do inweeks."

The dolphins'"echo location" - sonar more effective than anythingman has made - makes them …