Did You Know? Since 1995 SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Adventure CampsSM have played host to nearly 300,000 campers, hailing from all 50 U.S. states and 22 countries. View More » SeaWorld Employees Dedicated to Helping... » A New Home to Roam at BGW » The Great Pelican Rescue of 2004 » A Manatee’s Best Friend » Welcome Rob Yordi » SeaWorld Orlando Brings World of Wildlife to Disadvantaged Schools » New Adventure Camp Complex Opens at SeaWorld San Diego » Crew Members Hit the Beach » Small Bird Gets Big Boost from SWSD So, what happened this year to make so many birds weak? SeaWorld took the lead on the investigation. Necropsies were conducted to arrive at a cause of death. All of the birds were very young, typically hatched within the year. There was no suggestion of trauma, infectious disease or toxins. These birds were starving. With this information, the first piece of the puzzle was in place. To put the rest of the story together it took the combined efforts of biologists from the Salton Sea, Arizona, the University of California at Davis, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Fish and Game, diagnostic laboratories and even local bait fishermen. It turns out that the dying pelicans had quite a story to tell. Three biologists had information from the nesting sites. The information helped to determine what was happening in the lives of these birds before they became sick. In January and February, many birds arrived at the nesting sites on the islands off of California and in Mexico's Sea of Cortez. There were lots of nests and lots of chicks hatched in March and April. The fish that the birds eat - mostly sardines - were abundant. As many as 10 times more chicks left the nest this year as compared to previous years. Just as those chicks were learning to be fishermen, the sea surfaces were changing. There were still abundant anchovies, but they weren't all at the surface waiting to be a pelican's dinner. The young pelicans simply weren't very skilled at fishing. Lots of young birds flew way off course looking for a meal. Some ended up on the highways and even golf course ponds of Arizona. Some made it all the way to Las Vegas. Lots made it to San Diego - all were very hungry. SeaWorld was able to pull together a team from all over the Southwest to look at the pelican population and ocean conditions that led to this event, ultimately solving the mystery of the starving pelicans. Most important, the park's experience in rescuing and rehabilitating marine animals made it possible to give more than 70 young birds a second chance.

The Great Pelican Rescue of 2004 By Dr. Judy St. Leger, SeaWorld San Diego

Caring for sick and injured marine birds is a big part of everyday work at SeaWorld San Diego. But this year, the task took on extraordinary significance. The avian department at SeaWorld San Diego has been rehabilitating sick pelicans for many years. Throughout the year, birds of all ages come in with wounds from fishing lines or hooks. In the warmer months, the Salton Sea, a nearby salt lake, causes the pelicans to contract botulism through the fish they consume. SeaWorld's aviculture department has become a leader in the care and rehabilitation of these birds. But in May through July of 2004, pelicans arrived for help with a whole new story. In late May, more than 200 emaciated and dehydrated brown pelicans arrived at SeaWorld. These birds were weak and anemic. Many of them were so ill that just the ride to the rehabilitation facility was too much for them. Almost all of the birds, both males and females, were hatched within the past year. The avian department gave every bird vitamins, minerals and fluid therapy. Slowly, the team got them back onto solid food. Many of the birds were in rough shape. But even with the odds stacked against them, more than a third of them were rehabilitated and returned to the wild. The efforts were impressive. With two days notice, the avian and education departments worked to build and train a "pelican rescue team." SeaWorld helped local rehabilitation organizations when the number of animals overwhelmed them. Birds even ended up in Arizona, more than 150 miles from their natural coastal range. SeaWorld team members coached rehabilitators on the medical needs of the birds and then drove six hours to pick up 10 birds so their rehabilitation could be completed and the birds released.