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Description
So uplifted dolphins are helpless without their cyborg implants and mechs, and have to flood their spaceships so that they can swim around the ship? It seems all they have are disadvantages. What do they exactly bring to the table, in this universe full of sentient life forms?

They are unparalleled space pilots. Period.

Dolphins evolved with sonars. Their brains can intuitively understand wave signals reflecting back from 3D environment. They don't need some fancy computer graphics to get situational awareness from sensor signals. They just get scanner signals.

Skipping in and out of water - that's a form of space warp. You are leaving the 'normal' space of water by going into another dimension. And surface water waves, they are analogous to space-time distortion.

Dolphins' ability to understand reflected waveforms (be it sonar, radar, graviton) and warped space-time have been refined by millions of years of evolution. Therefore, they make superbly excellent tactical pilots and warp navigators.

All Earthlings know that once dolphins complete their client servitude, they will be highly sought after by the Galactic civilizations as combat pilots/helmsmen.

Startide Rising, Uplift series by David Brin

Description
So uplifted dolphins are helpless without their cyborg implants and mechs, and have to flood their spaceships so that they can swim around the ship? It seems all they have are disadvantages. What do they exactly bring to the table, in this universe full of sentient life forms?

They are unparalleled space pilots. Period.

Dolphins evolved with sonars. Their brains can intuitively understand wave signals reflecting back from 3D environment. They don't need some fancy computer graphics to get situational awareness from sensor signals. They just get scanner signals.

Skipping in and out of water - that's a form of space warp. You are leaving the 'normal' space of water by going into another dimension. And surface water waves, they are analogous to space-time distortion.

Dolphins' ability to understand reflected waveforms (be it sonar, radar, graviton) and warped space-time have been refined by millions of years of evolution. Therefore, they make superbly excellent tactical pilots and warp navigators.

All Earthlings know that once dolphins complete their client servitude, they will be highly sought after by the Galactic civilizations as combat pilots/helmsmen.

Startide Rising, Uplift series by David Brin