Pelican Gets a Quick Fix at NOAA Lab
A brown pelican walked up to the glass door of the NOAA lab in Panama City on a regular Tuesday.
The bird was tapping its beak on the door, as if asking for help.
When a biologist opened the door, they saw the pelican was wrapped in heavy fishing line and had a double‑barbed hook stuck deep in its right wing. Cactus spines were poking out of its left foot.
The team used the same calm, precise moves they use when they tag sharks or implant tags in sawfish. They gently held the bird, snipped the hook’s barb, pulled the hook out, and unwound several feet of line from the wing. The bird stayed surprisingly still for about ten minutes, showing it trusted the people. After the work, the pelican was checked, given a clean bill of health, and then flew away free.
The thin, clear line is almost impossible to see underwater and can stay in the ocean for hundreds of years. That makes it a hidden danger for birds, turtles, and other sea life. Everyone can protect wildlife by storing used line in a safe container, dropping scrap into recycling bins at boat ramps, and switching to barbless hooks so they are easier to remove. These simple steps keep the ocean safe for all creatures.