In which a bottlenose dolphin approaches some commercial divers for help, because its pectoral fin is entangled in fishing line.

I don't get all the disclaimers. Why would anyone object to helping an injured animal?

Why would anyone object to helping an injured animal?

Because it's a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act to interfere with a dolphin--might even be a felony. You need special permits to approach them, or even to stay where you are while they approach you. That diver took a big risk that NOAA Fisheries wouldn't come down all hard-ass on him.

Mankind acting like it has power over nature, which offends some people who apparently don't think that mankind has the right to act like it is just as much a part of nature as everything else?

Nature red in tooth and claw people, where it's tough luck, Flipper?

Hell, a sentient creature asks for help, another sentient creature should do their best to give aid.

(apparently I have issues)

edit: Or actual legal issues, which Consuela pointed out and I had no clue about, so spouted off.

But why would it be a felony? I guess I don't see how it can be a bad thing.

Reading that it's a felony makes me picture Dolphin Court, which I'd really like to see. And picturing Dolphin Court also makes me suspect the Ambien has kicked in.

Al Roker dropping the mic was HILARIOUS! I'm watching along, thinking "yes, vaguely amusing" and then BAM! MIC DROP! From AL. ROKER.

I guess I don't see how it can be a bad thing

I'm guessing they're being all or nothing, and unless you have been previously cleared one way or another, your level of dolphin is nothing. That way they don't have to work out when it's a bad touch (and it's probably most often going to be that--I'd hope the spirit of the law works here, and not the letter (it took me years to understand why the answer to that wasn't just More Letters!))

But why would it be a felony? I guess I don't see how it can be a bad thing.

I think the law is at least partially meant to prevent dumb tourists from treating wild animals like pets. Like trying to ride a dolphin or something.

I'm guessing they're being all or nothing, and unless you have been previously cleared one way or another, your level of dolphin is nothing.

I'm not an expert, but basically, yeah. Because even well-meaning touching/interference can result in the animals being disturbed, and disturbance can change their behaviors in such a way that they move, or change their eating/mating/parenting habits, and that can have an adverse effect on their longetivity and breeding success.

That's why the Endangered Species Act forbids not just killing, but any sort of interference with a listed animal. The scope of these statutes is very broad.

No dolphin for you!

I have Seinfeld on the brain because I just realised that Linda Tran from SPN was Ross' Julie (the other ethnic person in NY, the one that's not a superspy now--she's a monster masher).

So, uh, old NY sitcoms.

What sitcoms right now are really NY-bound? 30 Rock, clearly--is location very intrinsic in HIMYM? It seems to be the point of every other joke on 2 Broke Girls, but I'm not quite sure what's a joke on 2 Broke Girls, so that's complicated to calculate.