The brown-feathered bird had been treading on dangerous territory as it feasted on anchovies among a herd of eight whales in Monterey Bay, California.

The pelican had been spotted sitting on the surface of the water as it gobbled up the fish, when one whale suddenly burst from the sea to collect a mouthful - taking the pelican in as well.

These shocking pictures show the bird caught in the grip of the sea beast's mouth, its wings only just visible.

At first, shocked onlookers feared the pelican had been swallowed whole, but thankfully it was able to escape as the whale opened its mouth again before submerging into the water.

A hundred sea lions and other species of seabirds also gathered for the feeding frenzy on November 23.

Kate Cummings, who took the pictures for Blue Ocean Whale Watch, said: "This particular pelican's timing was a bit off and didn't lift off fast enough before the humpback whales emerged.

"The humpback didn't close its mouth all the way. It's very likely the whale felt the pelican in its mouth and didn't want to crush it.

"We watched as the whale opened its mouth wide before submerging again and the pelican hopped across the water with no visible damage.

She added: "Humpback whales have a special organ on the roof of their mouth - a long, pink strip that's often confused for the whale's tongue.

"It's very sensitive and is likely used to get a feel for how much food the whale is taking in with one mouthful, though they could also use it to detect something inside their mouth that didn't belong there - like a pelican."

Humpback whales are found in a variety of both polar and tropical waters, including the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

They can reach lengths of 12 to 16 metres long and can weigh an approximate 36,000 kilograms.