Karavasta Lagoon, on the Adriatic coast of Albania, is one of the few places in Europe where Dalmatian pelicans still nest in the wild. Each year a few dozen pairs build flat platforms of reeds and grass in the middle of the lake, far from people. The chicks hatch in spring, looking like very fluffy, very surprised little pterodactyls.
Pelicans don't dive for fish like seagulls do. Instead, several pelicans work together. They swim in a line, beating their wings and splashing the water with their feet to chase fish into shallow water. Then, all at the same time, they scoop the fish up in their stretchy pouches. Teamwork is everything.
The pouch under the beak isn't where they store fish for later, like a shopping bag - it's more like a fishing net. After scooping, the pelican tips its head down to drain the water out before swallowing the fish. The whole move only takes a couple of seconds.
Dalmatian pelicans almost disappeared in the last century, but careful protection in places like Karavasta is helping them slowly come back. They are one of the reasons UNESCO has marked the Albanian coast as an important nature reserve.