U.S. Navy gets 1-year OK to train with sonar off Hawaii

The U.S. Navy was granted a one-year permit to train with sonar and bombs in Hawaii waters so long as it tries to protect whales and other marine animals from harm.

The Navy warned that whales and other marine life may be harmed, or even killed, though that wasn't expected. Some marine species — particularly beaked whales — appear much more vulnerable to harm from sonar, and scientists are not sure why.

The National Marine Fisheries Service still is considering Navy requests to train with mid-frequency active sonar in waters off Southern California, the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico.

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