Yeah, that makes sense. Pretty neat.

What's the failure rate? I imagine the consequences for not doing it right would be nasty.

(BTW--I can't believe nobody else has. Google image search for whale tail. You're old enough to know better than to click.)

From 1956 through 1966 there were 23.

They can be very nasty. When I took a SCUBA course in college, they went into graphic detail. Your lungs basically tear open inside your chest.

The good news is that at these Navy places, they have staff and facilities right there ready to treat you. Not like if you have a diving accident at some remote tropical island.

Who took the picture?

Dolphins.

Sharks

or, the huge manatee

Since she was tank kept, I wonder if she was not trained to do this kind of rescue for swimmers.

Not trained, although she has had a lot of interaction with humans. They claim everyone was very surprised.
But hey, it's China, so that may be commie propaganda to cover up a program training whales to attack our soldiers at the beach.;)

I knew it! That is exactly what I was thinking! The Whales would just beach themselves and Tora Tora Tora! Wait that was the Japs.