Nigel (Finding Nemo)

Do-gooder
Full Name	Nigel
Alias(es)	None
Origin	Finding Nemo
Occupation	Con artist Unofficial member of the Tank Gang
Powers / Skills	Beak Flight Wings Agility Intelligence
Hobby	Hanging out with the Tank Gang. Spending time with his fellow pelicans
Goals	Support and help Nemo in reuniting with Marlin (succeeded).
Family	Unknown
Friends / Allies	Nemo Gill Jacques Gurgle Peach Deb Bubbles Bloat Marlin Dory Gerald
Enemies	Darla Sherman Philip Sherman Seagulls
Type of Hero	Avian Supporter

“	An outy? From my neck of the woods, eh? Sorry if I ever took a snap at you. Fish gotta swim, birds gotta eat.	„
	~ Nigel meeting Nemo

Nigel is a major character in Pixar's 5th full-length animated feature film Finding Nemo.

He is a brown pelican who lives in Sydney Harbor and acts as a con artist. He is also a good friend of the Tank Gang, who was taking care of the titular Nemo. When he found out that Marlin and Dory were looking for Nemo himself, Nigel then proceeds to help them.

He was voiced by Geoffrey Rush, who also played Hector Barbossa from Pirates of the Caribbean film series. In the Japanese dub, he was voiced by the late Tetsuo Gotō.

History

Finding Nemo

Nigel flies to the dentist's office. The Tank Gang explains about dentistry to him. Nigel hears the dentist after his words. The dentist often shoos him out from his office, believing he wants to eat the fish.

The next day, he and the other sea creatures and pelicans hear Marlin's story about why Nemo is lost. Nigel gets a crab off his wing and fetches it to the seagulls. Later that day, he visits Nemo again in the dentist's office. He tells the Tank Gang the story of how Marlin lost Nemo and is looking for him. The next day, he takes Marlin and Dory to rescue Nemo after avoiding the angry seagulls and helping his friend Gerald, who had temporarily tried to eat them. However, he recognizes them, and offers to take them to where Nemo is.

When they arrive, they learn from the Tank Gang that the dentist is about to put Nemo in a garbage can. Marlin orders Nigel to go in, but he refuses, which the determined clownfish says "Oh yes you can!" and pulls him in by grabbing his tongue. He then flies around the office, causing chaos by making the dentist drop the bag onto the tray Nemo is in. On seeing Nemo in the bag, Marlin and Dory were worried as if he's dead or not. They try to have a look but the dentist eventually grabs Nigel and shoves the pelican out of the window.

Nigel then brings Marlin and Dory back to the water. He apologizes to them, saying "I'm so sorry... truly I am.", and then flies off. This is the last time he is present onscreen, but seeing as how he heard the story of how Marlin had been travelling the ocean to save Nemo, which had been passed along by many different sea creatures and is how he shared the story with the Tank Gang, odds are that he also eventually heard about how Nemo and Marlin were reunited shortly afterwards.

Gallery

"Would you just SHUT UP?!!! You rats with wings!

"THERE! TAKE IT, YA HAPPY?!"

Nigel hearing a word of Marlin's journey to find Nemo and eagerly flies on his way to the dentist's office to spread the word.

Nigel flying into the dentist's window.

"Your dad's been fighting the entire ocean, looking for you!"

"Ok, don't make any sudden moves. Hop inside my mouth if you want to live."

Nigel tricking the Seagulls into puncturing a nearby sail.

Trivia

• Brown pelicans' (Pelecanus occidentalis) geographical distribution don't extend to Australia; they are only found in the Americas, making Nigel's appearance in the film incorrect.
• In the German dub of Finding Nemo, Nigel is named Niels and voiced by Thomas Fritsch.
• Nigel is the only focal animal in the Finding Nemo franchise to not be an aquatic one. Fluke and Rudder do not count as they are seals, which are swimming mammals.
  • Ironically, he has occasionally hanged out with the Tank Gang, a group which consists of aquatic creatures.

External Links

• Nigel on the Disney Wiki.
• Nigel on the Pixar Wiki.