Photo: Frank Schulenburg / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Brown pelicans are Dry Tortugas' most dramatic hunters—watch them plunge from the sky into the water to snatch fish. These marine specialists are likely visible on any boat tour or ferry trip through the park. Keep 25 yards back and enjoy one of nature's best shows!
📏 Keep your distance: 25 yards (per National Park Service wildlife viewing guidelines)
Stay safe
Maintain 25-yard distance. Never feed birds. Observe from boats or designated viewing areas. Do not approach nesting colonies. Use binoculars for closer viewing.
If you encounter one
Brown pelicans are completely harmless to humans. Simply observe and enjoy! Maintain distance for their comfort and to avoid disrupting feeding or nesting behavior.
Never feed or approach wildlife — it's dangerous for you and often fatal for them.
🦊 Species ID card
- Identifying features
- Breeding birds: white head with yellow wash on crown, dark maroon-brown neck and nape, large throat pouch. Nonbreeding: all-white head and neck. Large wingspan and distinctive diving silhouette.
- Habitat
- Marine coastal waters. Roost on islands and mangroves; nest in colonies on secluded islands.
- Diet
- Fish (caught by diving). Occasionally amphibians, crustaceans, and bird eggs.
- Active
- Diurnal (active during daylight hours)
👀 Where & when to see them in Dry Tortugas National Park
Where to look
Throughout park waters—commonly visible from tour boats, ferry routes, and snorkeling areas around Garden Key, Fort Jefferson, Little Africa, and Loggerhead Key.
Best time
Morning and afternoon, especially during feeding periods
Spotting tips
- Look for white (breeding) or grayish head and large brown wings
- Distinctive plunge-diving behavior is unmistakable
- Often seen flying low over water searching for fish
- Travel in loose groups or pods
Accessibility
Visible from tour boats and ferry routes; also from shore areas around Garden Key and Fort Jefferson.
With kids
Perfectly safe for all ages. Children love watching diving behavior. Keep children secure on moving boats to prevent falls. A great educational moment about marine food webs.
📷 Photographing them
Best vantage points
Ferry decks, tour boat railings, snorkeling boat platforms. Use telephoto lens to maintain safe distance and capture diving behavior.
Shoot ethically
Use telephoto lens to maintain 25+ yard distance. Never approach nesting birds or chicks. Let birds feed undisturbed. Respect other visitors' viewing opportunities.
🔭 Gear that helps you spot them
🌲 Natural history
- Breeding season
- Breed in colonies; specific timing for Dry Tortugas unknown
- Winter
- Birds do not hibernate. Present year-round in Dry Tortugas.
🌍 Conservation
Threats
Historically endangered by DDT and pesticides (recovered following 1972 DDT ban). Current threats largely resolved.
Protection efforts
Protected under National Park status. Nesting colonies managed to prevent human disturbance; fishing regulations protect food sources.
How visitors help
Maintain proper viewing distance and never feed. Report sightings to help NPS monitor populations. Practice responsible boating near wildlife.
Report sightings
Contact Dry Tortugas ranger staff via visitor center or dock area rangers with sighting details: date, time, location, number observed, and behavior.
