Fishermen help an injured Pelican

An otherwise healthy looking Brown Pelican was feeding next to the boat one day while we were fishing far offshore. He was doing everything right and catching plenty of fish. The only trouble was, they weren't making it to his stomach!

His skin pouch was massively torn......

Every meal that went into the pouch fell right out as he tried to throw it back for swallowing.

Again and again we watched as this magnificent bird struggled to eat.

Again and again we watched as this magnificent bird struggled to eat.

The result was a sad display of Pelican bullying as his buddies stole every fish he caught. Without the ability to eat the food he was catching, his days were certainly numbered...

The crew decided to help out a fellow fisherman and brought him aboard for a closer look.

The tear in the pouch was recent, but not recent enough to be bleeding.

With no veterinarians or wildlife rescue centers for hundreds of miles, the crew decided a quick stitch-up was the bird's only chance. This called for a bait needle and some waxed thread.

Starting at the bottom and working up toward the bill, the tear was carefully repaired as the patient calmly waited....

After getting stitched up the crew stepped back and gave the Pelican several live baits from the bait-well. It was his first meal in days!

After enjoying his meal the crew gave the Pelican a final once-over before releasing him.

Surgery at Sea