New surface and underwater surveillance technology? Or not?

[HalcyonDaze]

If you believe everything you read then you are well advised to stop reading.

Not to mention that they're already dodgy buggers ...

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Not to mention that they're already dodgy buggers ...

Supposedly there are dolphins trained at Bamgor submarine base in Washington state. Now seeking that video I wonder what they would do to fend off divers!

 

[HalcyonDaze]

Supposedly there are dolphins trained at Bamgor submarine base in Washington state. Now seeking that video I wonder what they would do to fend off divers!

Bangor and Kings Bay both, for protection of the ballistic missile subs based there. Bangor at least also has California sea lions on the roster, which would not be fun either. A full-grown bottlenose dolphin weighs upwards of 600 pounds; I believe I've heard of them being trained to attach a float to divers but the most basic way to disable a diver is for them to just go to ramming speed. Neither place is known for having nice clear water, so it would basically be like swimming around in blackout conditions and then getting hit by something weighing as much as a small car doing 20+ mph.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Bangor and Kings Bay both, for protection of the ballistic missile subs based there. Bangor at least also has California sea lions on the roster, which would not be fun either. A full-grown bottlenose dolphin weighs upwards of 600 pounds; I believe I've heard of them being trained to attach a float to divers but the most basic way to disable a diver is for them to just go to ramming speed. Neither place is known for having nice clear water, so it would basically be like swimming around in blackout conditions and then getting hit by something weighing as much as a small car doing 20+ mph.

So in summary, you're going to have a bad day.

 

[Anthony Appleyard]

I read many years ago in a scuba diving periodical that among the inhabitants along the south coast of Crete there was (at the time) a tradition of illegal scuba diving.That may be a part of a general tradition of rebelliousness and independence that has been endemic on Crete starting in the old times when Ottoman Turkey ruled Greece and Crete.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I read many years ago in a scuba diving periodical that among the inhabitants along the south coast of Crete there was (at the time) a tradition of illegal scuba diving.That may be a part of a general tradition of rebelliousness and independence that has been endemic on Crete starting in the old times when Ottoman Turkey ruled Greece and Crete.

Bob Hollis told me that some of his friends were diving off Crete in the 1990s. When they surfaced, they had the Hellenic Navy waiting for them. They were arrested and had their equipment confiscated. I don't believe they were prosecuted, but deported. Not sure if they had their equipment returned. I believe no.

Are you sure that the article wasn't about sponge divers? That has been happening for many years all over Greece. There is some scuba diving, but it is a relatively expensive activity. The sponge divers also go much deeper (over 70 meters). I know one of the oldest surviving sponge divers who claims to have given JYC lthe ocation of a shipwreck in the 1960s off Crete. I have no idea whether this is true, as Fabien has no idea either.

As far as the Cretans, they did wipe out the Fallschirmjäger. The government would never deploy MAT (riot police) on that island as there would be an insurrection, a much sharper reaction than on Chios where the locals stormed their hotel rooms and beat them. A significant percentage of the male Cretan population is armed, and outside of the cities, pretty much all road signs have been used for target practice.

In general in all of Greece, the word "nomos" has the literal definition of "law" but in reality is more of "suggestion." Try driving here.

 

[Joris Vd]

Bob Hollis told me that some of his friends were diving off Crete in the 1990s. When they surfaced, they had the Hellenic Navy waiting for them. They were arrested and had their equipment confiscated. I don't believe they were prosecuted, but deported. Not sure if they had their equipment returned. I believe no.

Are you sure that the article wasn't about sponge divers? That has been happening for many years all over Greece. There is some scuba diving, but it is a relatively expensive activity. The sponge divers also go much deeper (over 70 meters). I know one of the oldest surviving sponge divers who claims to have given JYC lthe ocation of a shipwreck in the 1960s off Crete. I have no idea whether this is true, as Fabien has no idea either.

As far as the Cretans, they did wipe out the Fallschirmjäger. The government would never deploy MAT (riot police) on that island as there would be an insurrection, a much sharper reaction than on Chios where the locals stormed their hotel rooms and beat them. A significant percentage of the male Cretan population is armed, and outside of the cities, pretty much all road signs have been used for target practice.

In general in all of Greece, the word "nomos" has the literal definition of "law" but in reality is more of "suggestion." Try driving here.

Honestly just looking at the road signs in Crete tells you alot about the Island. One in three road signs is completely perforated by bullet holes.
I love the people and the Island, but all the locals I know (mainly Rethymno - Bali region) have that typical ' A Law can't mandate what I can or can't do'-attitude.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I love the people and the Island, but all the locals I know (mainly Rethymno - Bali region) have that typical ' A Law can't mandate what I can or can't do'-attitude.

That statement applies to all of Greece. Some divers believe in the finders-keepers attitude when it comes to ancient artifacts. Greek law mandates the reporting of ancient shipwrecks found. There is also compensation that is based on the "value" of the shipwreck. Value is in quotes as it depends on the condition of the wreck, the historical significance of the wreck found, but not the value on the black market.

Not all sponge divers have been pleased with that, despite being awarded close to 100,000 Euros for three different shipwrecks.