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Mon 31 Mar, 2003 03:38 am
THE US Marines have suffered an embarrassment with reports last night that one of their most prized investigators may have defected.
Takoma, the Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphin, had been in Iraq for 48 hours when he went missing on his first operation to snoop out mines.
His handler, Petty Officer Taylor Whitaker, had proudly showed off Takoma's skills and told how the 22-year-old dolphin was among the most pampered creatures in the American military.
Takoma and his fellow mine hunters have a special diet, regular medical checks and their own sleeping quarters, which is more than can be said for the vast majority of the military whose domestic arrangements are basic, to say the least.
The wayward Takoma set out on the first mission with his comrade, Makai, watched by the cameras as the pair of dolphins somersaulted over the inflatable dinghy carrying their handlers.
Takoma's role was to sweep the way clear for the arrival of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Sir Galahad. US officials had said that dolphins, first used in Vietnam, were a far better bet than all the technology on board the flotilla of ships.
Petty Officer Whitaker had tempted fate by saying: "Why would they go missing when they have the best food and daily spruce-ups and health checks?" Two hours later Takoma had gone Awol. "Twenty-four hours is not unusual," a nervous Petty Officer Whitaker said. "After all, he may meet some local company."
Takoma has now been missing for 48 hours and the solitary figure of Petty Officer Whitaker could be seen yesterday patting the water, calling his name and offering his favourite fish, but there was no response.
Source: The Times
interesting post. i wonder if the dolphin will show up later.
btw, petty officers are u.s. navy, not u.s. marines.
Too many hungry people in Iraq today!
Phoenix - LOL
darn pets! need to keep them on a short leash.
Will the dolphin even now be sitting in some pool in a Presidential Palace - spilling everything he knows?
As far as I remember, the dolphins are members of the Navy, not of the Marines.
Since PETA -- the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals -- has issued a statement opposing the U.S. Navy's deployment of dolphins , perhaps they hijacked the dolphin? Or brainwashed him?
"Man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much... the wheel, New York, wars, and so on, whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely the dolphins believed themselves to be more intelligent than man for precisely the same reasons."
-The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
I dont know if the Dolphine was a marine or a sailor. "US marines" was used in the article from The Times. Please mail the complaints to them!
How can we be so certain that Takoma is a deserter? Perhaps Takoma was taken prisoner by the Iraqis; and is even now being tortured for military secrets.
Or maybe he died valiantly in action in a firefight with Iraqi dolphins?
Or maybe he was shanghied by a Japanese tuna boat.
Better start a campaign to raise funds for a memorial for all the dolphines killed or missing in action during this war.
The title of the article (I understand that Frolic did not invent this, just copied from the original article) sounds as if it was developed in some Baghdad-based center for psychological war. Despite of the fact that the article itself refers to an animal and not to a human soldier, the unpleasant aftertaste remains... Prior to reading the contents, I was almost sure that some U.S. soldier confessing Islam changed side or deserted. Thanks God, this is not the case, and moral of all the troops is quite OK.
Maybe the dolphin fell in love with another dolphin and said "screw them"!
Where's the pun? Where's the pun? Where's the pun?
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