Add these animals to the "truth is stranger than fiction" list: military dolphins. The largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the United States, and possibly even in the world, is defended by a group of militarized dolphins. Since 2010, the U.S. Navy has employed the animals to protect the Naval Base Kitsap, which is located on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington about 20 miles outside Seattle. Prior to 2010, unwanted swimmers around this base were identified by trained sea lions.
Though military dolphins are used for finding mines in other parts of the world, the Kitsap dolphins are on the lookout for intruders. Once a dolphin finds an unwanted swimmer, the dolphin swims back to its trainers, who might give it a transponder to mark the swimmer's location. Or, they may equip the dolphins with a shackle that will attach to the intruder and send a float to the surface as a signal to Naval officers. To hear more about the impressive Navy dolphin squad, check out the video below.