The film's famous beach dance sequence with Storm Boy and Mr Percival the pelican was unscripted and it was only by chance that the film crew filmed it.
Today, the famous area where this film was mostly made, South Australia's wetlands and sand dunes district known as the Coorong, is under threat due to low water levels due to the water-ravished Murray River. The region is a habitat for migratory birds, the southern tip of it becoming highly saline which environmental experts are saying is having an effect on various pelican and bird populations.
Special housing accommodation was built for the pelicans whilst shooting on location. Pelican wrangler, trainer and handler Gordon Noble housed the pelicans in a caravan complete with a specially built yard area around it. The pelicans even befriended Noble's pet dog Rupert thus creating a mini animal farm.
The three "actor" pelicans were named Dum Dum, Carpenter and Sandwich. It took 12 months to train the pelicans and Dum Dum was the most adventurous pelican to wander off or escape.
Successfully showing South Australia to the world, this film screened in cinemas around the globe, on Queen Elizabeth II's Royal Yacht 'Britannia', at the White House for President 'Jimmy Carter', and at the palace of Emperor Hirohito in Japan.