The original Pelicam was installed on a sand bank created from dredged soil in Charleston Crab Creek. Inaccessible to raccoons and coyotes, the bank was a popular spot for pelicans to build nests, lay eggs, hatch and raise their young free from the threat of natural predators. The camera was installed to allow biologists to unobtrusively observe and study the birds’ natural behaviors – behaviors that might be inhibited by humans watching from nearby.