K-Dock Sea Lions
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After the 1989 Loma-Prieta earthquake, a pod of California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) decided to move to K-dock, right next to the tour trap that is Pier 39. After several attempts to encourage the pod to move on failed, they were allowed to stay and became something of a tourist attraction. In the decade and a half since, the population has grown, feeding off the herring and other animals in the Bay. Occasionally, related species like harbor seals (Phoca vitulina)and Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus) can be seen on the floating docks as well.
The animals coexist well at the busy pier. Since they have been given K-dock as their own space, humans have relatively undisturbed access off the rest of the nearby docks. The sea lions are also nonplussed by the noisy crowds of tourists a few meters away on the main pier. Course if I weighed up to 450 kilograms and could deliver a nasty bite if need be, I wouldn’t be too bothered by the humans either.
A bit of care is given from the Marine Mammal Center (MMC), which has an education office on the pier. They take care of any sick or injured Sea Lions (or other related mammals) and hose down the docks every week to keep the smell down.
Here’s a sound clip of the Sea Lions. If you need more you can check out the webcam.
| Nearest Airport | SFO, OAK |
| Street Address | Pier 39 |
| Cross-Street | The Embarcadero |
| Secondary Cross-Street | Beach Street |
| Neighborhood | Pier 39 |
| City | San Francisco |
| County, Parish, or Township | San Francisco County |
| State, Province, or Region | California |
| Country | USA |
| ZIP or Postal Code | 94133-1006 |
| Latitude | 37.81062 degrees |
| Longitude | -122.41158 degrees |
| Public Transit Information | MUNI buses 10, 15, 39, 82X, 47, and the F streetcar. |
| Parking | There is a coupon for the garaage on the Pier 39 site. Otherwise, parking is tight |
| Contact E-mail Address | sales@tmmc.org |
| Contact Telephone | 1-415-289-7373 |
| Contact Fax | 1-415-289-7333 |
| Official Website | http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/learning/education/pier39/pier39.asp |
| Related Website | http://www.pier39.com/entertainment/entertainment.cfm/attraction/1000011 |
| Admission Price | Free. Donations at the MMC appreciated. |
| Hours | 24/7. This is a nice place to go at night. |
| Vegan Dining Options | No food served for humans nor pinnipeds. |
| Wheelchair Access | Accessible |
| Potential Hazards | Don't climb the fence and jump in. |
| Special Events at Attraction | Tours can be scheduled with the MMC. There is an anniversary celebration of the sea lions' arrival on 19 January. |
| Best Thing to See or Do Here | Listening to them at night. |
| Last Visited | January 2006 |
January 19th, 2006 at 20:57:35 -0500
[…] Today marks the sweet 16 for the sea lions taking over part of the San Francisco waterfront. Pier 39 is having an ‘event‘ but knowing what a non-event their Tulipmania is, I expect this to be basically the same as any other day there. […]