Pier 39 Sea Lions
Sea lions that chose this dock on their own after the 1989 earthquake
The story
Before you are the floating docks of Pier 39, and on them, California sea lions. Nobody brought them here. In October 1989, soon after the Loma Prieta earthquake, the first animals began hauling out on K-Dock. By January 1990 there were many of them, and they took over the whole dock, much to the annoyance of the boat owners. The pier asked The Marine Mammal Center for advice. The scientists said: let the animals stay. The bay has plenty of food, and here they are safe from predators. Within a few months more than three hundred sea lions lived on the dock. Ever since, they have rested here, warmed up in the sun, fought for space and barked loudly. Most of them are males. An adult male weighs up to 850 pounds and grows to about seven feet. With age, a crest appears on his head. Unlike seals, sea lions have small external ear flaps. Their numbers change with the season and with how many fish are in the bay. The most ever counted was in May and June 2024: more than two thousand one hundred. Sea lions do not raise their pups here. Most pups are born in June on the Channel Islands off Southern California. From here you get a good view of the bay and of Alcatraz Island with its former prison.
Visiting
Pier 39 on the Embarcadero at Beach Street, Fisherman’s Wharf. The sea lions can be seen from the west side of the pier, at K-Dock. Watching is free. The sea lions are protected by law: do not feed or touch them.
Photos
Sources
This text was written by AI from open sources. An expert will still check it. Found a mistake? Write to us. Support
