"A fascinating discovery."

The wheels of his half-Vulcan mind were turning. Naturally. It was the scientist in him. Intellectual curiosity was not against the rules of Surak's logic. Only outwardly expressing that curiosity.

"Would you permit me to enter your tricorder readings into my ship's species database? As a ship of exploration, the Enterprise makes a concerted effort to record in great detail new lifeforms we encounter."

Of course, that was Spock's view of how things worked. Were Teddy talking with Kirk instead, there would be a lot more exaggerated romance and adventure placed in the explanation behind what the Enterprise did. But for Spock, it was a ship of exploration. Nothing more. Nothing less.