san francisco — The intrepid sea lion nicknamed Chonkers is making its way into the hearts of tourists and locals who flock to Pier 39 in San Francisco to catch a glimpse of the massive pinnipeds.
On Thursday morning, visitors snapped photos as a Steller sea lion floundered on the dock, surrounded by dozens of much smaller California sea lions that call the docks home.
“It’s like a Volkswagen! It’s so huge!” “I’m so excited to see the sea lion,” said Oluwase Akinbobola, a visitor from Los Angeles who had an extra half hour, so she ran to the pier to catch a glimpse of the elusive sea lion. “I’ve heard everywhere about this giant sea lion, and I like to look at things, so I thought I’d check it out.”
The creatures likely came from north off the coast of Washington or Oregon, and are estimated to weigh between 680 and 907 kilograms, said Laura Gill, director of public programs at the Marine Mammal Center in nearby Sausalito. Chonkers was one of the few Steller sea lions who ventured to the pier, protected from predators and crashing waves and served a buffet full of fish.
“There’s a lot of food in San Francisco Bay for them, so fish, rockfish, anchovies, herring, there’s a lot of easy prey for them,” she said.
The giant sea lion, which was first spotted on the pier last month, has brought the community together, said San Francisco resident Danielle Ovadia. “It’s so precious, it’s so huge,” she said.
Sea lions have become synonymous with the popular tourist pier, but they didn’t begin congregating there until after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, according to the marina. One male was soon joined by dozens more, and by February 1990, the number of sharks had increased to more than 300.
Gill said chokers have been spotted on sidewalks early in the morning but are difficult to spot during the rest of the day. She said it was adorable to watch him try to cuddle with regular sea lions for warmth and it would be interesting to see if other Steller sea lions follow suit.
“He’s trying to cope, but he sticks out like a sore thumb,” she said.