COCOA BEACH, Florida – Surfers saved a Florida Brown Pelican that was entangled in fishing line near the Cocoa Beach Pier on Sunday.

One surfer attempted to bite the fishing line in order to free the sea bird without success.

A few moments later, another surfer paddled up to aid in the animal rescue and successfully broke the strong monofilament as onlookers watched the scene unfold from a tiki bar at the end of the Cocoa Beach Pier.

The surfer was able to untangle the pelican from the fishing line.  After taking a few minutes to realize that it was free, the pelican flew away.

The pelicans themselves are a tourist attraction, gracing thousands of selfies on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram that are taken by people visiting Cocoa Beach, Florida.

The brown pelican was removed from the Endangers Species List in 1985.