China Reports Dolphins Foiled Pirate Attack

This is a hilarious post on China's claim that dolphins prevented a Somali attack on one of their merchant ships and the use of armed dolphins in military operations. It cites a 1989 New York Times article that states:

As part of a top-secret program expanded in the Reagan administration, the Navy has spent nearly $30 million in the last four years trying to put the highly intelligent marine mammals to military use...

Critics question the ethics of using what is seen as a benign creature for military tasks and charge that dolphins, known to be independent and unpredictable, are not reliable guardians...

Navy officials admit that dolphins and sea lions, which are also being trained for military use, have occasionally been absent without leave or have refused to obey orders.

If this was posted on April 1st, I would think it was a joke. Rather, since it cites an article about Reagan defense spending, I believe it.