Overview
- The 1,500–2,000-pound Steller sea lion has lingered on Pier 39 for about a month, with new sightings this week drawing steady lines of onlookers.
- Pier 39’s harbormaster and The Marine Mammal Center say he is staying because the bay now offers abundant prey like anchovies, herring and rockfish.
- Chonkers is far larger than the California sea lions on the docks and has been notably mellow around them, according to pier staff.
- Reddit posts helped coin the name and spread the videos, which pier officials credit with lifting visitation during a typically slow period.
- Sea lions began using Pier 39 after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and counts have reached into the thousands, including a 2024 peak near 2,100.