408 



UTILIZATION OF PORPOISES 



Subsidiary tasks to which this training could be adapted included the transfer of tools, mes- 

 sage capsules, and other small objects between surface and bottom and between divers. 



PREPARATION 



Training began at Point Mugu on Aug. 2 and proceeded as planned. Tuffy worked out of a 

 floating pen anchored in approximately 80 ft of water. 



Since it would have introduced an undesirable complication to require the aquanauts to 

 reward the animal with fish, this reinforcement, after the initial training, was eliminated at the 

 bottom, and Tuffy was rewarded only after returning to the surface. For the next nine days he 

 continued to work well, with the two divers stationed 50 to 180 ft apart. On the tenth day he ac- 

 complished one perfect mission, then refused to respond to the divers' signals. He repeated 

 this performance on each of the next three days. When reinforcement at the bottom was re- 

 sumed, the animal resumed working. Subsequently a system of random reinforcement at the 

 bottom was established, and at Sealab n Tuffy carried a small bag of fish down to one of the 

 aquanauts on each initial dive. 



The participation of Aquanauts John Reeves and Kenneth Conda in practice sessions at Point 

 Mugu greatly facilitated training and helped insure the success of the trials at Sealab II. 



On Sept. 11, 1965, the component parts of a floating pen 17 X 17 X 10 ft deep were trucked 

 to La JoUa and assembled on the beach. The pen was towed to the Sealab II site and anchored 

 about 200 yards from the SS Berkone. 



On Sept. 13 Tuffy was transported by H-34 helicopter from Point Mugu to the Quivera Basin 

 dock at Mission Bay. There he was transferred to the AVR for its scheduled 1230 run to the 

 Sealab site. The porpoise behaved normally and accepted food immediately after being dropped 

 into his pen. 



On Sept. 14 and 15, Tuffy satisfactorily performed practice dives to depths of 110, 150, and 

 170 ft respectively. Divers of the Operations Support Group of the Amphibious Base at Coronado 

 ably participated on both days. The Sept. 15 practice session was conducted about 100 feet from 

 SeaJab, and Tuff's performance (Appendix A) provided no reason to assume that he was not ready 

 for trials with Reeves and Conda the next day. 



However, in the first trials held on Sept. 16 the porpoise would not dive. The sixth trial he 

 made a dive, apparently of 4-1/2 minutes duration, coming within sight of Conda, and close 

 enough to Reeves to be touched. But he would not hold still for package or line transfer. Pre- 

 sumably the heaving lines and cables, the noise of SS Berkone 's generators, the lights of Sealab 

 II, and other conditions existing at the site deterred the animal. (Details of performance in 

 Appendix B.) 



ACCOMPLISHMENTS 



On Sept. 17, with Reeves and Conda working in a less obstructed area about 100 ft from 

 Sealab (but moving closer in the last trials), the porpoise performed flawlessly, transferring 

 tools and mail between surface and bottom, and tools and guide line between divers. His seven 

 dives ranged in duration from 1 min 8 sec to 1 min 15 sec. 



On Sept. 18 he again made seven successful dives, with Reeves and Conda working just out- 

 side Sealab II. Tuffy responded quickly and correctly to every signal. (For details of Sept. 18 

 and 18 dives, see Appendix B.) 



On the afternoon of Sept. 18' Tuffy was required to swim from his floating pen to the landing 

 craft of the Operations Support Group where he was maneuvered into his stretcher and hoisted 

 out of the water (the large crane on the SS Berkone being unsuitable for this operation). He was 

 then transferred by small boat to the AVR at the Berkone, and thence returned to Mission Bay 

 for the helicopter lift back to Point Mugu. 



