This test could have been rescheduled or moved to a place or time that would allow for the San Fran to test her new sonar without blasting out the eardrums of the whales.

It’s not a question of sailors vs. whales; we all want our brave servicemembers to be safe as they do their jobs. It’s a question of when the powers that be in the Navy are going to start respecting the sea life in the waters they patrol.

A GPS fix is only good for as long as you are recieveing the signal. Once you submerge you must rely on your Gyro and your Dead Reckoning to Navigate. Now neither of those will tell you when you are too close to a foriegn object… only Sonar can do that. Quit confusing the reason the Navy uses sonar.

“But let’s make a few things clear—active sonar is NOT required for safe navigation by submarines. Ballistic submarines for example don’t even have active sonar! Submarines have several ways to determine location without the use of any sonar–they can get a GPS fix prior to submerging, they can rely on their inertial guidance systems, and when entering/exiting ports, many times submarines will rely on pilot vessels to guide them through. When submerged, submarines can use their gyrocompasses to get a location fix. In the case of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, where water depth is more than adequate to avoid any surface ships, they can also utilize bottom contour mapping using hydrographic data.”

Just some clarification from someone who actually understands and has practiced submarine navigation:

- All submarines, including the Ohio class, do have a piece of active sonar. It is called the fathometer.

- Submarines do not use “pilot vessels” to exit/enter the Strait.

- Gyrocompasses do not fix a submarines posistion.

- Bottom contour mapping requires the use of a fathometer as well as updated chart information, which is aquired best by using side-scan sonar from survey vessels.

- the area that submarines conduct post overhaul sea trials is not so deep and avoidance of surface vessels in that area as well as the entire Strait is paramount.

- This area has been used by submarines for many, many decades. The first time I used it was in 1983.

But let’s make a few things clear—active sonar is NOT required for safe navigation by submarines. Ballistic submarines for example don’t even have active sonar! Submarines have several ways to determine location without the use of any sonar–they can get a GPS fix prior to submerging, they can rely on their inertial guidance systems, and when entering/exiting ports, many times submarines will rely on pilot vessels to guide them through. When submerged, submarines can use their gyrocompasses to get a location fix. In the case of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, where water depth is more than adequate to avoid any surface ships, they can also utilize bottom contour mapping using hydrographic data.

In this particular case, a surface vessel was in attendance with the submarine. So the use of active sonar to detect any vessels in the area was not required. The submarine was in regular contact with the surface vessel as evidenced by the communications picked up between the two vessels.

The important point to take from all the uproar about this is simple–the Navy has the ability to easily confirm the presence of marine mammals, whether they be harbor porpoise, minke whales, gray whales, transient orcas, or the recently listed Southern Resident Orca Whale (on the Endangered Species list). Yet the Navy hasn’t had the best record of behavior in this regard. 2003, the USS Shoup repeatedly used mid-frequency sonar with whales in view of their vessel. In 2005, a Naval helicopter hovered so low over a group of orcas for a photo op with a guest on their helicopter that the rotors were creating a mini-storm on the water.

Sonar IS REQUIRED for safe operation of a Submarine. Surface ships have the ability to fix their position within a few feet however Submarines can only do that when they are on the surface and recieving GPS. Sonar’s primary function is not to Navigate on anyways, its to ensure that you dont run into anything bad (Such as the many container ships that utilize the straits or small pleasure craft).

I am not arguing the fact that it CAN do damage… anything can. Be it in the water or your neighbors kids car. The point is that if you have 2 risks; one to possibly injure a whale… one to possibly injure 160 men who put their lives on the line every day to protect our freedoms: Which one do you think we should chose? Clearly neither is acceptable… but you HAVE to chose one… You cant just say.. Oh, no more Sonar. It doesnt yet work that way. Come up with a viable solution and people will listen instead of calling foul and jumping up and down.

The Navy shouldnt (And does not) require citizens permission to utilize sonar for legitimate purposes. In this case, the testing of a freshly repaired Submarine is more than a just reason. Look up the USS San Fancisco history… look at the pictures and see what could have been avoided had they been using this active sonar that you so greatly despise.

No one likes the possiblity that marine life COULD be harmed. We could just as easily (Probably with about the same percentage of occurance I would be willing to bet) accidently RAM into a whale, but I dont hear anyone saying “Dont patrol our waters because you might slam into a living creature”. Its a calculated risk assesment and when it comes to Human life verses Animal life, animals lose.

We should focus our attention on developing new technology and or methods that benefit both sides of the argument instead of watching the Navy and waiting to cry foul. Just my 2 cents.

Even more worrisome, if these recording (of which I submitted several) were of naval ships operating out in the Straits, how loud were the pings at the locus of sound? There were multiple reports of transients near and around Race Rocks just 2 hours before the start of operations by the naval ships. It would only have taken the Navy a minute to call Orca Network, The Center for Whale Research, or even just scan the VHF for whale watch vessels talking to each other to discover that whales were in the area. Not to mention all the porpoises, gray whales, and minke whales that are all in the area right now.

Ships can operate without the use of mid-frequency sonar. Contrary to what Nonya states, the use of sonar is not required to safely operate a submarine. With today’s modern technology, military ships can fix their locations within a few feet. And no, mid-frequency is not just an annoyance–It kills. It’s not just loud. Try 250db loud. Enough to burst eardrums, and in a cetacean, that leads to disorientation and death. Those of us listening into the hydrophones had the ability to turn down the volume when the pinging started. The whales and other cetaceans don’t have that ability.

I have the utmost of respect for those who serve and put their lives on the line to protect my freedoms. But this was another example of an avoidable mistake on the part of the Navy operating in a sensitive marine ecosystem. Next time Navy–make the call before you start blasting your sonar.

Theres nothing sinister about this. Just a Submarine testing its repaired equipment. Equipment that saves their lives, others lives, and in the long run.. maybe your life.