US Navy bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) being transported on an inflatable naval boat during operations in the Arabian Gulf. This dolphin was trained at the Navy Marine Mammal Program (NMMP), San Diego, USA. Dolphins have been trained by the US Navy since the 1960s for a variety of underwater tasks including, locating underwater mines, delivering equipment, locating objects, surveillance and guarding against human intruders. Dolphins are highly intelligent animals and proficient swimmers, using echolocation to sense their surroundings. The NMMP also trains California sea lions, killer whales and beluga whales.