A pelican trapped in fishing line was rescued last week about 30 feet offshore near Santa Cruz’s Cowell Beach. Two other entangled birds died.
Erika Perloff was first to spot the struggling pelican at around 4 p.m. Thursday, just as daylight was fading. She described how the pelican appeared unusually still, with another pelican hovering close by. “I then realized they were attached because there was some kind of line around it and they were all tangled up,” said Perloff.
In an effort to save the bird, Perloff contacted Native Animal Rescue, a nonprofit that rescues sick or injured wildlife, but its rescuers are not allowed to go into the ocean for safety reasons. As the tide moved in and harbor seals circled the birds, Perloff said she turned to passersby for help.
Two surfers, Santa Cruz High School students Otis De La Selva and Juma Mohammed, stepped in to help the pelican, she said. Mohammed assisted from shore while De La Selva paddled out with scissors he borrowed from Steamer Lane Supply.
Perloff said De La Selva spent about 20 minutes in the water cutting through the braided line while floating on his board. The trapped pelican was entangled with two other birds that had died, a pelican and a cormorant.
Perloff and the surfers watched as the bird regained its strength and floated away. The rescued pelican was the only bird that survived the entanglement, she said.
“Marine debris is a real threat to seabirds and there is no way that bird was going to survive without being freed from the tangle it was in,” said Perloff, a local artist. “Both young men were eager to help, and I was very impressed with their calm demeanor and how they dealt with the situation.”
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FOR THE RECORD: This story was updated with additional comment from Native Animal Rescue.
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