How can seagulls help you sing high notes?

I had been working with a student the other week who was having a real struggle with accessing their upper register.  There was a lot of straining and tightness going on which was preventing them from singing the higher notes.  I suggested they try making the noise like the seagull from Finding Nemo, and hey presto! they could suddenly access those high notes.
I think if someone walked past my voice studio some days they would think we were crazy. However it may take a different way of thinking to help solve a problem.
If you are having difficulty with high notes, why not give it a try?