--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are a lot of smart creatures out…" description: "\"There are a lot of smart creatures out there. Dolphins, elephants, and whales are smart. And there are some really smart birds. I know some really inte..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b7/sylvia-earle-1756_bird_there-are-a-lot-of-smart-creatures-out-t_3123496.jpg" --- # There are a lot of smart creatures out there. Dolphins… ![“There are a lot of smart creatures out there. Dolphins, elephants, and whales are smart. And there are some really smart birds. I know some really intelligent fish. But they cannot know what humans know and are incapable of inflicting as much damage.” quote by Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b7/sylvia-earle-1756_bird_there-are-a-lot-of-smart-creatures-out-t_3123496.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b7/sylvia-earle-1756_bird_there-are-a-lot-of-smart-creatures-out-t_3123496.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b7/sylvia-earle-1756_bird_there-are-a-lot-of-smart-creatures-out-t_3123496.jpg) > “There are a lot of smart creatures out there. Dolphins, elephants, and whales are smart. And there are some really smart birds. I know some really intelligent fish. But they cannot know what humans know and are incapable of inflicting as much damage.” [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Many animals exhibit high intelligence, yet humans possess unique cognitive abilities that can cause extensive harm. **In simple terms:** Animals are smart, but humans can cause more damage. Key Takeaway Recognize and protect intelligent species while reflecting on human impact. Themes intelligence environment responsibility Mood concerned inspired Type environmental ethical When to use this quote - conservation policy - education - ethical research Key Concepts cognitive hierarchy ecology Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities arise from our unique abilities? - How can we balance intelligence with stewardship? A Different Perspective Human intelligence also enables solutions, not just damage. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [Whale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whale/) ## Related quotes > [“What? 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Everything else is crap!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashton-kutcher/the-sexiest-thing-in-the-entire-world-is-being-really-smart-and-being/) [Ashton Kutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashton-kutcher/) > [ Bill Prady and Chuck Lorre, the guys who run that show \[Big Bang Theory\], are really funny and really smart, and the cast is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-spiner/bill-prady-and-chuck-lorre-the-guys-who-run-that-show-big-bang-theory/) [Brent Spiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-spiner/) > [We're all born with different talents. I'm really not that smart, but I can see things - financially and development-wise. It's just the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tilman-j-fertitta/we-re-all-born-with-different-talents-i-m-really-not-that-smart-but-i/) [Tilman J. Fertitta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tilman-j-fertitta/) > [A lot of times when you're around really, really smart people, you don't really understand them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martellus-bennett/a-lot-of-times-when-you-re-around-really-really-smart-people-you-don/) [Martellus Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martellus-bennett/) ## More by Sylvia Earle > [We still have 10 percent of the sharks. We still have half of the coral reefs. However, if we wait another 50 years, opportunities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/we-still-have-10-percent-of-the-sharks-we-still-have-half-of-the/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [Health to the ocean means health for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/health-to-the-ocean-means-health-for-us/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [Evolution is not something to be feared. It's to be celebrated, embraced, and understood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/evolution-is-not-something-to-be-feared-it-s-to-be-celebrated/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [We are depleting this immense diversity and abundance of life, and it matters tremendously for the future of the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/we-are-depleting-this-immense-diversity-and-abundance-of-life-and-it/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [My mother was known as the 'bird lady' of the neighborhood. 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But now we are facing paradise lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-ocean-seemed-like-a-sea-of-eden-but-now-we-are-facing-paradise/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [When you think about the real cost of so-called cheap energy that has driven our prosperity to unprecedented levels, for some of us, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/when-you-think-about-the-real-cost-of-so-called-cheap-energy-that-has/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [When I arrived on the planet, there were only two billion. Wildlife was more abundant, we were less so; now the situation is reversed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/when-i-arrived-on-the-planet-there-were-only-two-billion-wildlife-was/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [I've had the joy of spending thousands of hours under the sea. 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