52 Best Quotes From Finding Nemo

Disney Pixar Animation Studios film Finding Nemo tells the exciting story of an adventurous little clownfish with a gimpy fin who gets lots, and his father’s journey to find his son. This modern classic features great characters and lots of adventure. There is quite a selection of Finding Nemo quotes so we have a list of our favorites!

This Walt Disney Pictures film features the voice talents of Albert Brooks, Ellen Degeneres, Alexander Gould, Andrew Stanton, Willem Dafoe and more!

10 Best Quotes From Netflix’s “Finding Nemo”

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Here is the scoop on best Finding Nemo quotes of all time!

1. “When life gets you down, you know what you gotta do? Just keep swimming.” -Dory

Marlin is frustrated and upset that he can’t find his son Nemo. Dory does her best to cheer him up! She says, “Hey Mr. Grumpy Gills when life gets you down, you know what you gotta do?”

She then repeatedly sings “Just keep swimming” and it’s so catchy! This quote is now a beloved mantra that can help anyone out.

Even when we are going through hard times, the best thing to do is just keep going and eventually we will be better! It’s no surprise that this is the most famous quote from Finding Nemo.

2. “Fish are friends, not food.” -Bruce

This quote is one of the most iconic lines from the whole film! The three sharks we meet are Bruce, Anchor, and Chum.

However, they are not your everyday carnivorous sharks, they are vegetarians. They even have a pledge, “I am a nice shark, not a mindless eating machine. If I am to change this image, I must first change myself. Fish are friends, not food.”

3. “I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine. And he shall be my Squishy.” -Dory

Dory find an adorable tiny jellyfish and decides to name him Squishy. This is such a sweet moment in the movie because it shows Dory’s protective side as well as her love of all things small and cute.

What she doesn’t know is that all Squishy come with stinging tentacles. Even though Squishy the jellyfish ends up stinging Dory this scene is hilarious and sweet.

This adorable meeting is another very popular Dory quote.

4. “Mine!” -Seagulls

Finding Nemo perfectly captures the relentless nature that seagulls show in real life. Anyone who has brought a picnic to the beach will know that seagulls want nothing more than to swarm the nearest food.

Any time the fish are on the surface of the water, the seagulls all say, “Mine!” and dive for their food.

5. “I forget things almost instantly. It runs in my family… well, at least I think it does… hmm, where are they?” -Dory

This quote from the fan-favorite fish Dory explains a lot about her character. She is a lovable scatter-brained fish who had trouble remembering things, but she still wants to help in spite of her short-term memory loss.

Marlin even thinks that her behavior is some kind of practical joke. Her memory becomes more of an issue later when she can’t remember if a school of fish told her to swim through the trench but still senses a little red flag when Marlin wants to swim over it instead.

This line also mentions Dory’s family and the fact that she can’t remember where they are. Is this foreshadowing for the sequel film Finding Dory where she travels to find her parents?

6. “You guys made me ink.” -Pearl

Pearl may not be a very important character in Finding Nemo, but she still has one fo the best lines! Pearl is a young and shy octopus so when she gets startled by her friends, she accidentally inks in the water.

The childlike dialogue is relatable and hilarious when she scolds her friends for making her ink.

7. “P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney.” -Dory

When Marlin and Dory find a diving mask, like the one worn by the diver who takes Nemo, they realize it’s a clue! Dory reads the address written on the mask and reads “P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney.”

This line makes more sense later when we meet Dr. Philip Sherman the dentist.

Dory then repeats this address over and over again so she doesn’t forget it, and it still sticks in our heads all these years later!

8. “Name’s Bruce.” -Bruce

Bruce introduces himself to Marlin and Dory and invites them to his gathering with his other shark friends. He does his best to prove that he is a nice shark who does not eat fish, but the the plan goes south when he smells Dory’s blood and his animal instincts take over.

Bruce struggles to fight his instincts, but he is still a good shark!

9. “Nemo, newcomer of orange and white. You have been called forth to the summit of Mt. Wannahockaloogie to join with us in the fraternal bonds of tankhood!” -Bloat

When Nemo finds himself living in a fish tank, is is lost and scared. Fortunately, the tank gang is so much fun and they’re a supportive group of friends who are willing to help him escape.

They invite Nemo to their initiation ceremony where they invite him to join their club. The only catch is that he first has to swim through the top of mount wanna-hock-a-loogie, but he does it with no problem.

10. “You got a problem, buddy? Huh? Huh? Do you, do you, do you?” -Dory

When Dory and Marlin first meet, Dory tells Marlin that she saw the boat that took Nemo and the two take off swimming. After a short while, Marlin is still following Dory and she turn around and yells at him for following her.

Marlin doesn’t yet know about Dory’s memory issues so he’s completely confused. She has a tough time remembering that she’s already met him.

11. “Do you have your exit buddy?” -Crush

Marlin meets a group of sea turtles who are riding the current. One’s name’s Crush, not to be confused with Mr. Turtle his father, who gives Marlin instructions on how to get to his son.

Part of these instructions involve holding on to an exit buddy so you have someone to leave the current with. While the concept of an exit buddy is very important for swimming in and out of the current, a travel partner is a good thing to have in life.

12. “It’s morning, everyone! Today’s the day! The sun is shining, the tank is clean, and we are getting out of gasp the tank is clean. The tank is clean!” -Peach

The tank gang comes up with an elaborate plan to help Nemo get back to his father. They know that the dentist’s niece Darla is visiting in a few days, so they plan to make the tank dirty before then.

This will force the dentist to remove all of the fish so he can clean the tank, giving Nemo a chance to escape. When they wake up the morning of Darla’s visit they are shocked to learn that the tank is clean and their plan is ruined.

13. “Thaaaankkk youuuuu sirrrrrrr!” -Marlin

After Marlin and Dory are swallowed by the whale and survive in the back of the throat, and then shot out through it’s blow hole. The good thing is that the whale drops them off right in the middle of Sydney, Australia. The pair is ecstatic because their entire journey was spent trying to get to Sydney.

The first thing Marlin does after realizing where they are is to shout “Thaaaankkk youuuuu sirrrrrrr!” to the whale, in his best attempt at speaking whale.

14. “You want to name all of them right now? Alright. We’ll name this half Marlin Jr. and then this half half Coral Jr. okay?” -Marlin

At the beginning of the film, Marlin and his wife Coral are nervous and excited about becoming parents. Marlin says that he wants to name half of their kids Marlin Jr. and the other half Coral Jr.

Coral says that she likes the name Nemo. After his wife and all but 1 of their eggs are eaten by a barracuda, Marlin honors his wife’s memory by naming their only child Nemo.

15. “I look at you, and I… and I’m home. Please, I don’t want that to go away. I don’t want to forget.” -Dory

This is one of the most heartbreaking Finding Nemo quotes of the entire film. Dory and Marlin finally find Nemo, but it’s when he’s pretending to be dead. Unfortunately, this fools Marlin as well and the distraught father gives up and decides to swim home.

Dory pleads with Marlin to stay with her and that he’s become her best friend but Marlin is too sad and he leaves her.

16. “Okay, class. Optical orbits up front, and remember, we keep our subesophageal ganglia to ourselves. That means you, Jimmy.” -Mr. Ray

It’s Nemo’s first day of school on the Great Barrier Reef and he joins his classmates on the back of their teacher Mr. Ray.

Just like any human teacher reminding kids to keep their hands to themselves, Mr. Ray reminds the kids to keep their “subesophageal ganglion” to themselves as well.

Mr. Ray also Says, “Next stop knowledge.” and it’s another one of the best Finding Nemo quotes of the movie.

17. “Sharkbait! Hoo ha ha!” -Tank Gang

After the tank gang initiates Nemo into their friendship, the give him the coolest new nickname every, Sharkbait!

They repeatedly chant “Sharkbait! Hoo ha ha!” and this becomes one of the most memorable Finding Nemo quotes of the entire film!

If you’re looking for Finding Nemo quotes that you will get stuck in your head, this is one of them!

18. “Yes, I’m a natural blue.” -Dory

Dory says “I’m a natural blue” which is her fish version of the classic “I’m a natural blonde/redhead.” This joke is definitely more for the parents who watch the film, but it’s still a hilarious line.

19. “Fish aren’t made to be in a box, kid…” – Gill

Gill seems like a serious and intimidating fish, but he cares deeply for his friends. He also feels very protective of Nemo, so Gill does everything he can to help Nemo escape.

During their time together, Gill tries to teach Nemo life lessons and this one in particular is very moving. “Fish aren’t made to be in a box” reminds Nemo to dream big and work for his freedom. This can also apply to people too.

This scene also lets audiences learn more about each of the characters. When the fist learn Nemo is from the ocean, they tell him that Gills is from the big blue aka the big ol’ blue also, unlike the others who were bought via mail order or at pet stores like Bob’s Fish Mart.

This is just one of the many Finding Nemo quotes that can apply to real life as well as the ocean.

20. “No hurling on the shell dude, okay? I just waxed it.” -Crush

Crush the sea turtle is a very relaxed characters, but he takes his current surfing seriously. Just like any good surfer takes care of their board, or any good driver takes care of their car, Crush takes care of his shell.

This line comes from when Marlin wakes up on Crush’s back and feels sick, Crush urger him to not hurl on his freshly waxed shell.

21. “Everybody else, be as gross as possible. Think dirty thoughts. We’re gonna make this tank so filthy the dentist’ll have to clean it.” -Gill

This funny Finding Nemo quote comes from Gill, a very cool fish. After the tank inhabitants decide to help Nemo get back to the ocean to find his father, the come up with a plan to make this happen.

The fish will make their tank dirty, forcing the dentist to clean it and give them a chance to escape. Gill dictates the plan to everyone on how they’re going to make the tank dirty and it’s such a funny concept!

22. “Don’t tell me to be calm, pony boy!” -Marlin

When Marlin drops off Nemo for school, the other parents praise him for being so calm for his first time. They also mention that the kids are going to the drop-off and Marline immediately freaks out.

Bob the seahorse tells Marlin to calm down and Marlin retorts, “Don’t tell me to be calm, pony boy!”

23. “Sandy Plankton saw one. He called it… uh… he said it was called a ‘butt.'” -Tad

When Nemo and his schoolmates see a boat near the reef, they stare in awe. None of the kids actually know what it is, but Tad remembers it’s called a “butt.”

This later leads to another one of the best Finding Nemo quotes where they say, “He touched the butt.”

24. “I’m a piranha. They’re in the Amazon.” -Darla

One of the scariest villains ever is Darla, the dentist’s niece who shakes fish in plastic bags until they die and taps the tank glass while singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

When Darla first sits in her uncle’s dentist chair, she starts biting. In another one of the most memorable Finding Nemo quotes she announces, “I’m a piranha. They’re in the Amazon.”

25. “Except stinkin’ dolphins.”/”Dolphins? Yeah, they think they’re so cute. Oh, look at me, I’m a flippy little dolphin, let me flip for you. Ain’t I somethin’?” -Anchor/Chum

After the sharks say their pledge and declare that “Fish are friends, not food” we learn that they don’t extend the same courtesy to dolphins.

Anchor and Chum then go on a hilarious rant about how much they don’t like flippin’ little dolphin. It’s an understandable rivalry because dolphins have a much better reputation than sharks do.

This exchange between the sharks also makes them ore relatable and shows that not all sharks are bad.

26. “What do we got?”/”Root canal, and by the looks of those X-rays it’s not gonna be pretty.” -Deb/Peach

The residents of the fish tank have been there so long they know all of the dentist’s procedures by now. Since watching the dentist is their only form of entertainment, they also know the proper terminology and names of his tools.

The fish watch the whole thing as the dentist preforms a root canal on a patient, and this scene is funny because they are just as excited as humans watching sports. In another scene we dee the dentist pull out the tooth of the Prime Minister too!

Judging by the amount of pain the patient was in, if you don’t need a root canal today you’re going to have a good day.

27. “Of course I like you. It’s because I like you I don’t want to be with you. It’s a complicated emotion.” – Marlin

Marlin is not the best fish at reading the room or sensing the feelings of others, so when he tries to separate from Dory to look for Nemo alone he hurts her feelings.

Dory thinks that Marlin doesn’t like her, so he explains, “Of course I like you. It’s because I like you I don’t want to be with you. It’s a complicated emotion.” Clearly he is not the best at comforting others, and Dory may be the last fish he wants to travel with, but he is trying his best to make her feel better.

28. “My first escape, landed on dental tools. I was aiming for the toilet” -Gill

Gill has tried escaping the fish tank many times before. So many times that the other fish aren’t hopeful about his new plan.

The main difference is that this time, they have Nemo. He’s small enough to fit in the tube and stop the tank filter, so they finally have a real chance of escaping.

29. “Es-cap-aye. That’s funny, it’s spelled just like ‘Escape.’” -Dory

Dory’s memory gives fans countless funny moments throughout the film, like when she calls Nemo little Harpo. One of our favorites is when she forgets that she knows how to read.

Dory reads a sign that says “Escape” but she mispronounces it, and then laughs about how “Es-cap-aye” is spelled just like “Escape.”

30. “I’m H2O intolerant. sneeze” -Sheldon

When Nemo first meets his classmates, they ask about his little fin. Marlin explains that he was born with it.

The other kids then start sharing things about themselves. Pearl has a short tentacle, Tad is obnoxious, and Sheldon is H2O intolerant. They accept Nemo and don’t mind his fin at all, proving that they’re good players to be friends with.

32. “Crush, I forgot, how old are you?” -Marlin

Toward the beginning of the film, Nemo asks his dad how old sea turtles are. Marlin sarcastically answers “If I ever meet a sea turtle I’ll ask them.”

Later, when Marlin actually encounters a sea turtle her asks Crush how old her is. This sweet gesture is a callback to earlier in the film and it also shows that Marlin is truly determined to find Nemo so that he can now answer his son’s question.

33. “What is it with men and asking for directions?” -Dory

Marlin and Dory are lost after exiting the current, so they argue about stopping to ask for directions. Dory brings up the age-old joke about men not wanting to ask for directions.

Marlin replies, “I don’t want to play the gender card right now. You want to play a cars? Let’s play the let’s not die card!”

34. “You never really know, but when they know, you’ll know, you know? -Crush

Crush and Marlin have very different parenting styles, but they can both connect over how much they love their children aka little dudes.

When Marlin asks Crush how he know’s his son Squirt is ready to do something, Crush reveals that as a parent you never really know until your kids do, you know?

Even though Nemo is a little boy Marlin can’t shield him from everything in the world, so it’s up to Nemo to show his dad when he is ready. Some of these Crush comments are helpful to Marlin, even if he doesn’t know it yet.

35. “He either said we should go to the back of the throat, or he wants a root beer float.” -Dory

Once again, Dory is trying her best to speak whale, but this time from inside the whale’s stomach. Whether or not she can actually speak whale, the funny thing is watching her try.

36. “Don’t make any sudden moves. Hop inside my mouth if you want to live.” -Nigel

When a large pelican tells Marlin and Dory to hop in it’s mouth, they are understandably skeptical. Thankfully, he isn’t lying to them and really wants to offer them a little help to find Nemo.

If they want to be saved from the seagulls, Marlin and Dory need to make a choice and hop into Nigel’s mouth.

37. “Dad, you’re not going to freak out like you did at the petting zoo, are you?” -Nemo

This may not be one of the most popular Finding Nemo quotes but it shoes a lot about each character.

At the beginning of the film, there are many scenes showing Nemo and Marlin’s relationship. They have a very loving bond, but you can tell that Nemo feels a little stifled by his father’s over-protective nature.

After Namo asks about the petting zoo, Marlin defends himself saying, “Hey, that snail was about to charge.” Clearly snails are not fast so even if one charged

38. “If there’s anything you need just ask your Auntie Deb, that’s me! Or if I’m not around you can always talk to my sister, Flo.” -Deb

Deb is a sweetheart, but she’s a bit confused. All of the fish in the tank see their reflections in the glass, but she thinks that her reflection is another fish.

She even tells Nemo, “Don’t listen to anything my sister says, she’s nuts.”

39. “All righty Mr. Smartypants, it’s orange and small, and has white stripes.” -Dory

This line is another example of Dory’s never-ending energy and enthusiasm for life. For a large par of her and Marlin’s journey they are playing I-Spy.

Dory is very excited to play, but thanks to her memory she always picks Marlin to be the thing shat she spies, and he grows frustrated.

40. “Good afternoon. We’re gonna have a great jump today. Okay, first crank a hard cutback as you hit the wall. There’s a screaming bottom curve, so watch out. Remember: rip it, roll it, and punch it.” -Squirt

Squirt is really excited to be teaching Marlin and Dory how to exit the current, but he gives his instructions using his surfing turtle lingo.

After Squirt finished talking Marlin says, “It’s like he’s trying to speak to me, I know it. Look, you’re really cute, but I can’t understand what you’re saying. Say the first thing again.”

41. “The human mouth is a disgusting place.” -Gurgle

Gurgle is the member of the tank gang who is very afraid of germs and wants everything to be clean. Unfortunately for him, he has to watch the dentist clean mouths all day long.

When he watches a patient spit into the small dentist sink, he can’t help but voice his disgust.

42. “Dory, if it wasn’t for you I never would have even made it here, so thank you.” -Marlin

One of the last lines on the list is heartbreaking and sweet. After Marlin and Dory see Nemo pretending to be dead, they assume the worst and decide to go home.

Marlin takes the opportunity to genuinely thank Dory for her part in their search. Since he spends their entire journey being frustrated with her, it’s nice to see him acknowledge everything that Dory did for him.

This scene is a hard cutback to reality with Marlin accepting Nemo’s death and just wanting to go home.

43. “From my neck of the woods eh? Sorry if I ever took a snap at you. fish gotta swim, bird’s gotta eat.” -Nigel

Once again, Nigel the pelican is showcasing the fact that he is a really nice bird. Nigel is just one of the various characters that Nemo meets in the dentist’s office who show him kindness and want to make him feel welcome.

Since Nemo is away from his home, it’s really important that these characters are so supportive and friendly to him.

44. “I can do this.” -Nemo

After Nemo and Marlin reunite in the fishing grounds Dory gets caught in a net. Nemo goes in the net to tell all the other fish to swim down and save Dory, but Marlin doesn’t want his son in any more danger.

Nemo assures his dad that he can do it and Marlin finally realizes that he has to trust his son. Marlin says, “You’re right, I know you can.”

Nemo’s become a very famous fish and audiences loved watching him grow up! Together with the whole group of fish and a little get up and go the clown fish swim down and save Dory!

45. “With fronds like these, who needs anemones?” -Marlin

Throughout the entire film, whenever Marlin meets a new fish they see that he’s a clown fish and ask him to tell a joke. There are various scenes of Marlin starting to tell the setup of a joke but he’s just not funny and he messes it up.

His joke about a mollusk and a sea cucumber turns out poorly and he always leaves his audience disappointed. Finally, at the end of the movie Marlin gets to tell his joke to the other dads at school and the punchline makes them crack up!

46. “It’s okay, daddy’s got you. I promise that nothing will ever happen to you… Nemo.” -Marlin

Upon Marlin waking up after being knocked unconscious by the barracuda, he frantically checks on his family to find that there is only a single egg that has survived the attack. It’s a bright orange egg with a single crack across it.

Marlin then makes the sweet and devastating promise to protect his son and officially names one of his children after the name that Coral liked best- Nemo.

47. “Oh gosh! Nemo’s swimming out to sea!” -Kathy

After Marlin nervously stumbles across Nemo and his friends playing a game of who will get closest to the butt (boat), Marlin begins explaining to Mr. Ray about how Nemo isn’t a good swimmer. Marlin also says that Nemo simply isn’t ready to go to school yet. This frustrates Nemo and he decides to defy his father by swimming out into the ocean and touching the boat.

While he does this, one of the students exclaims, “Oh gosh! Nemo’s swimming out to see!” This scene begins the main conflict of the film. As Nemo soon touches the boat and starts swimming back, he is captured by scuba divers.

48. “Oh look, balloons! It is a party!” -Dory

After Bruce the Great White shark, convinces Dory and Marlin to go with him to a party in an ominous manner, they are taken to an abandoned ship when Dory sees large bombs on chains. She excitedly mistakes them for balloons.

Bruce laughs and warns her, “Mind your distance though, those balloons can be a bit dodgy.”

49. “I see a light.” -Dory

After losing the scuba mask, Marlin and Dory swim into the depths of the ocean. Dory then sees a light and they start to follow it.

Both become entranced by this light as it begins moving to reveal a threatening mouth. Just like in real life when female anglerfish use their bioluminescent light to attract fish to eat them and attract mates, Marlin and Dory are mesmerized by the light.

50. “You so totally rock, son! So gimme some fin!” -Crush

Crush the sea turtle is the voice of the some most recognizable quotes in the entire movie because of his surfer dude persona. There are so many amazing Crush comments.

Some of Crush’s other great quotes are, “righteous, righteous” and “you’re alive! My dude!”

51. “You can’t never let anything happen to him then nothing would ever happen to him. Not much fun for little Harpo.” -Dory

It’s hard to not allow Dory to take up the entire list, as she says some pretty iconic quotes that are often hilarious to watch but she does have some moments of sobering clarity. While her short term memory loss allows people to mistake Dory for being idiotic, she does seem to have a general understanding of the world and this quote proves it.

After Marlin makes a comment about wanting to keep Nemo safe, Dory says that with that logic Nemo will never have any fun or be able to do anything. This moment helps Marlin to realize Nemo’s side of the situation.

52. “Find a happy place! Find a happy place!” -Peach

When Darla is in the waiting room at the dentist office, she spend her time looking at the fish tank. Unfortunately, this also involves tapping on the glass.

Darla taps on the glass that Peach is suctioned to, and the poor starfish starts falling off. In order to get through this torturous moment, Peach reminds herself to “Find a happy place.” Sometimes all you need to get through tough times is the right attitude!

Finding Nemo is one of many great Pixar movies like Toy Story, and Up that leave audiences with a good feeling. Some of the best things about watching movies on DVD with your family are that you can go to the scene selection menu and rewatch your favorite moments all you want! Comment your favorite Finding Nemo quotes below!

Be sure to shop your favorite Nemo products like a plushie, Loungefly backpack, collectable pins, and sweatshirt!

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