"funny things" floating 20 miles E of Gibraltar

[Delancey]

Originally Posted by Group9

For those who have never see them, this is what dope bales look like. And, what they have inside them.


.

Note: chem lights attached to bales.

[Dirk Williams]

Navy Special Warefare out of the ROTA detachment.

Dirk

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Nautical hemorrhoid cushion to sit on when the seas get rough. Orange so you can find him when he bounces over the side.

Oh. Might get one for when I'm older.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Delancey

Although typically a little smaller than the orange donut in the OP's photos, open water swimmers use these donut shaped tow floats that have a dry bag in the middle.

That looks like it.

Thanky

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Dirk Williams

Navy Special Warefare out of the ROTA detachment.

Dirk

Hmmm, gettin' close!

ROTA is interesting:

certain U.S. military customs are not observed, such as the display of a U.S. Flag, which is only allowed during the annual Fourth of July celebration

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Station_Rota,_Spain

Could explain the no markings bit.

[MarkJ]

Ha!!

I think we solved it!

Guess what the first image is for this Google image search: Navy ROTA rib

http://www.google.com/search?q=navy+...=navy+rota+rib

Looks pretty spot on to me!

[Dirk Williams]

my other guess would have been "Mando De Guerra Naval Especial " MOE" Spanish SEALS, as I recal they have like 10 teams.

Dirk

[seabreez]

Originally Posted by YesIsail

So that happened to me a couple of weeks ago.
I went close to the floating thingys to have a look and the speed boat on the image approached me right away and convinced me to keep sailing

what would you guys have done?

in our necks of the woods... if we cannot tell what they are... they are probably contraband something... that is why "they" told you to leave it alone...

[Dirk Williams]

Not enough boats for HALO recovery. Scuttling equipment is frowned on. Multiple boats would be present, for a training event.

To far out for "attack board" navigation-training could be Sub swimmer drills, or mini sub launch/ recovery.

It's SEAL, MOE, or SBS out of Gibraltar. Frankly their to spit polished to be SBS.

Dolphin/Walrus training is unusual in open water. usually occurs is bays or ports.

Dirk

[buzzstar]

Originally Posted by siamese

I probably would have opened fire on them.

or vice versa...?

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by siamese

I probably would have opened fire on them.

I know that was a joke, but if not and they were who I think they were, be sure to use a chocolate gun, cause I believe they may well make you eat it

[buzzstar]

I am not sufficiently up-to-date, but would not most, if not all, national military forces operating in open waters for training purposes wear uniforms rather than random/casual civilian clothing. More likely a private op of some sort, probably training, and well financed?

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by buzzstar

I am not sufficiently up-to-date, but would not most, if not all, national military forces operating in open waters for training purposes wear uniforms rather than random/casual civilian clothing. More likely a private op of some sort, probably training, and well financed?

Depends on who they are, so not always. Some of course in this past several years wear some pretty impressive looking beards.

I remember when going through the test pilot course that there were several long haired pilots that walked around, when they flew they wore brand new right of the bag flight suits, no patches at all and no hats.
They sometimes flew an ugly brown Bell 222, this was before the Internet and I had a friend in the NTSB who I called and asked him to look up the N number for me, turns out the Hersey chocolate company of Hersey Penn. owned it.
I wonder if they knew what it was being used for and where it was ?

You see these types around, especially if you deploy. We always called them "Spooks" a generic name usually meaning CIA, but who knows?
At camp Doha in Kuwait years ago you knew the Brit SF cause they drove Land Rovers, and you knew the Seals cause they always wore these way too tight and way too small brown shorts.
Delta and others had their own peculiarities that you could spot across a parking lot.

[varkpilot]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

use a chocolate gun, cause I believe they may well make you eat it

Bet your life on it. 'Cause you would be (betting your life!)

[varkpilot]

Originally Posted by buzzstar

I am not sufficiently up-to-date, but would not most, if not all, national military forces operating in open waters for training purposes wear uniforms rather than random/casual civilian clothing. More likely a private op of some sort, probably training, and well financed?

Ever seen a SEAL op? Not Hollywood's version, but the real deal? Depending on the op, civies may well be the uniform of the day.