Quotessence
Home / Authors / Mark Leiren-Young
Mark Leiren-Young

Mark Leiren-Young Quotes

Journalist

Filter quotes by topic

AllOrcasKiller WhalesAnimalsMarine LifeWhalesOceanScienceMoby DollCanadaInspirationalMeanBarkBeetlesBookBritishBritish ColumbiaCanadian HistoryCanadian HumorCanadian PoliticsColumbia

Famous Mark Leiren-Young Quotes

“Human groups who find themselves hunting in the same territory are almost expected to fight. For the most part, regardless of the continent they’re on or their culture, it’s rare when they don’t battle over land or resources. But the orca culture is more ancient than ours and, apparently, more civilized. Killer whales don’t just share food; they share the same sectors of the seas without challenging each other to determine dominance. This is true for orca families found in every ocean in the world.”

OceanAnimalsMarine LifeOrcasKiller WhalesOrca Families
Book:The Killer Whale Who Changed the World
Create image

“Regardless of how scientists may feel about respecting the history of the name, there’s no world in which “killer” sounds like a safe species to swim with. If you’re on their menu, the name is accurate, but if you’re not—and we’re clearly not—it’s an archaic holdover from an ancient era that makes it harder to save this vital species.”

NamesAnimalsMarine LifeOrcasKiller Whales
Book:The Killer Whale Who Changed the World
Create image

“Orcas and some other large whales have spindle neurons in their brains. These are cells that process emotion humans thought existed only in apes and us. Spindle neurons have been called the cells that make us human. They're the part of the brain that deals with complex emotions like love, guilt, grief and even embarrassment. Since these are the cells that allow us to feel deeply, isn't it likely they do the same for orcas?”

AnimalsOrcasKiller WhalesOrca Emotions
Book:Orcas Everywhere: The Mystery and History of Killer Whales
Create image