A peaceful evening of fishing at Grand Beach, Manitoba, turned into an unexpected wildlife encounter when two pelicans decided to join the action.

TikTok user @bobbyborenza shared the moment, showing the birds inching closer to their canoe every time a fish was hooked. The anglers, fishing for pickerel, noticed the pelicans hovering just five feet away, seemingly attuned to the rhythm of the reel.

When a perch (not typically kept) was tossed toward the birds, one snatched it midair, prompting the caption: “Catch and release? More like release and catch!”

We went out fishing for the evening at Grand Beach, Manitoba. The water was a little choppy, so we waited for it to settle down a bit. We were out for about an hour and a half. During that time, we noticed a pelican coming closer to our canoe. It would approach whenever we had a bite or started reeling in a catch. A second pelican joined, and soon both birds were about five feet away from the boat. We were fishing for pickerel and don’t normally keep perch, so we decided to toss one to the pelicans, which they caught! Catch and release? More like release and catch!