Tourists typically are advised to be cautious of sharks and stingrays but such warnings rarely include pelicans, the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times said Friday.

"I do not recall an incident with a pelican," St. Pete Beach Fire Chief Fred Golliner said after Thursday's incident.

Debbie Shoemaker required 26 stitches after the pelican's beak pierced her cheek. She told the newspaper she decided to end her vacation early and go back home to Toledo.

"A terrifying experience, especially being by myself," she said. "Nobody would have ever thought that it could happen, but it could and it did."