Overview
- Chonkers remains a major draw at Pier 39, where visitors pack the dock to see a sea lion estimated at 1,500 to 2,000 pounds.
- Marine Mammal Center staff identify him as a Steller sea lion likely from waters off Washington or Oregon.
- Pier officials say he has dropped by for about 15 years for a day or two, but this visit has lasted for weeks.
- Biologists point to easy meals in the bay, including anchovies, herring and rockfish, as the reason he is lingering.
- Sea lions have gathered at Pier 39 since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and the docks offer a safe haul-out away from predators.