A Pelican Launches on Estero Bay
A real visit to a spot of ‘Jurassic Park’
I was already 27 years old when I saw my first Pelican. I was in Fort Lauderdale, my first trip to Florida, and saw several squadrons fly by my 12th-floor balcony. I was mesmerized. They looked like something from prehistoric times. At around 4 feet in length, these are huge birds. I’d never seen any bird that large, except for a few Ostriches in a zoo.
Since that first encounter, I welcome every Pelican I run into. If nobody is around, I even whisper a “thank you” to them just for showing up.
Last week I had another encounter. I was in a kayak on Estero Bay, on the west coast of Florida in Bonita Springs. The bay hosts an island called “Bird Island,” which is protected as a critical wildlife habitat. During the right times of the year, that island hosts hundreds of Pelicans, Roseate Spoonbills, Herons, and Egrets.
The Pelican I saw was not on Bird Island. Instead, he was floating on the water by himself (herself?). Best I could tell…
