This episode features yet another underwater explosion. The script writers seem enamored of this as it has featured in a half dozen stories in some manner thus far. In this iteration a local blasting contractor loses a specialist demolition diver to an underwater accident. Sandy had been teaching a 20 something guy called Mark how to dive and Mark dreams of diving for treasure to enable him to care for his younger fellow orphaned brother. Sandy and Bud and the two newcomers rush to the marina on bikes to see the cause of the accident and when Sandy is speaking to staff at the marina, Mark offers his services to the desperate contractor despite having no demolition experience. Bud witnesses the deception and says nothing leaving Sandy in an invidious position when he stumbles onto the situation.
Sandy tells Bud off roundly and tells Porter who in turn tries to get hold of the contractor to warn him. Bud foolishly goes to Mark's trailer and tips him off as to what Sandy's done which angers Mark and prompts him to set off early to take care of the blasting.
Bud realizes the danger of allowing such an inexperienced diver with explosives and he and Porter set off searching the ocean for Mark before he can do himself harm. Mark has dived too deep (deeper than Sandy has taken him) and he gets 'rapture of the deep' and is disoriented.
Flipper of course comes to the rescue but not just to identify where in the sea Mark is (Mark makes it to the surface and is hauled aboard by Porter and Bud) but miraculously manages to unplug the detonation cable from the explosive and brings said cable to the surface to prove all is well. The dolphin trainers were obviously able to train Flipper to do this trick but the episode wants us to believe that Flipper deduced that this was the thing to do without instruction from any of the Ricks' - even for the greater than normal powers the Flipper TV series invests in Flipper it's a stretch too far.
Mark realizes his folly and apologizes to the Ricks' and leaves Florida with more humble goals for the future of his charge.
Sandy tells Bud off roundly and tells Porter who in turn tries to get hold of the contractor to warn him. Bud foolishly goes to Mark's trailer and tips him off as to what Sandy's done which angers Mark and prompts him to set off early to take care of the blasting.
Bud realizes the danger of allowing such an inexperienced diver with explosives and he and Porter set off searching the ocean for Mark before he can do himself harm. Mark has dived too deep (deeper than Sandy has taken him) and he gets 'rapture of the deep' and is disoriented.
Flipper of course comes to the rescue but not just to identify where in the sea Mark is (Mark makes it to the surface and is hauled aboard by Porter and Bud) but miraculously manages to unplug the detonation cable from the explosive and brings said cable to the surface to prove all is well. The dolphin trainers were obviously able to train Flipper to do this trick but the episode wants us to believe that Flipper deduced that this was the thing to do without instruction from any of the Ricks' - even for the greater than normal powers the Flipper TV series invests in Flipper it's a stretch too far.
Mark realizes his folly and apologizes to the Ricks' and leaves Florida with more humble goals for the future of his charge.