Editor’s note: The following article is, in fact, an April Fool’s Day prank. They fooled us! But there is some truth to it. As the photographer, Dave Gibbs, noted: “Pelicans are one of my favorite birds but I did learn that one surfer had been actually injured by a pelican in HB before.” Read on with that caveat.

When it comes to surfers, and encounters with marine wildlife, the mind wanders to the usual suspects – sharks, dolphins, seals, maybe even whales.

But a rare encounter happened recently in Huntington Beach, CA. A surfer was attacked by a group of pelicans while in the water at Bolsa Chica State Beach.

Luckily, he lived to tell the tale.

Dave Gibbs

Dave Gibbs (aka @bolsadave), a surf photographer, posted images from the incident. They show the surfer – who only goes by the name Justin – being attended to by lifeguards. He has an icepack on his forehead, presumably where the bird made its strike.

From the looks of it, and the surfer's smiling face, the injuries appeared to be fairly minor.

Gibbs also shows other scenes from that day, with the large birds flocking around the lineup, even getting in the way of fellow surfer while riding a wave.

Captioning the images, Gibbs wrote:

“Marauding pelicans attack surfer at Bolsa Chica! ‘They were all over me like I was a big fish.’ Justin was lucky to survive...”

Related: Shocking New Footage Shows Brazilian Surfer Attacked by Shark (Video)

As mentioned before, although pelicans are seen quite often amongst the lineup, occasionally soaring above the waves as if they’re riding them, attacks on humans are extremely rare. In fact, this may just be the first of such encounters we’ve heard of.

But certainly it must’ve happened before, right? Indeed. See below.

There does appear to be accounts of pelicans acting aggressively, but mainly it’s a result of hunger or perceived danger. Perhaps this surfer was in the wrong place at the wrong time. A defensive pelican, fighting for fish, and feeling threatened.

For more on typical pelican hunting behavior, here’s the National Audubon Society:

“Brown Pelicans forage by diving from the air, from as high as 60 ft above water, plunging into water headfirst and coming to surface with fish in bill. Tilts bill down to drain water out of pouch, then tosses head back to swallow. Occasionally, it will scavenge and can become tame, even approaching fishermen for handouts.”

Related: 10ft Crocodile Captured in Crazy Footage at Infamous Mexico Surf Spot (Video)

This story was originally published by Surfer on Apr 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Surfer as a Preferred Source by clicking here.