Thousands Of Sea Lions Gathered At San Francisco Bay, Supply Of Food Attracts Species

(Photo : Getty Images/RODRIGO ARANGUA)

The greatest herd of sea lions in the past 15 years was gathered at Pier 39 in San Francisco, numbering over 1,000.

Gathering Of Sea Lions

Although sea lions have been hanging out at the pier on a regular basis since roughly 1990, the species' numbers have increased to about 1,000 this week, creating a commotion and drawing more attention from both locals and visitors.

The pier employees claim that the reason for the group's attendance is a feast of anchovies in the bay. The enormous school of anchovies provides a consistent food source, which makes the sea lions especially active this week, the pier tweeted from its official account.

When the docks registered a record of 1,700 sea lions in 2009, it was the last time the sea lion population was this high.

Sea lions from California are renowned for their liveliness, intelligence, and loud barking.

Pier spokesperson invite tourists to witness this; however, they cautioned that there might be a strong smell, so be ready for it.

"Because there are so many of them, sometimes it smells a little funky," said Pier 39 spokesperson Sue Muzzin.

There is a daily live broadcast of seal activity available on the pier for those who are unable to visit in person.

Experts are pleased to see the mammals lingering around in such a huge number and think it's a positive indication.

Adam Ratner, the Marine Mammal Center's director of conservation outreach, says this indicates that San Francisco Bay is "doing well."

He continues by saying that he believes this is occurring because the fish they eat-which are typically found elsewhere at this time of year-are getting closer to the bay, which is also pulling the sea lions in.

Professor Dan Costa of UC Santa Cruz, an expert on marine mammals, speculates that many of the males at Pier 39 might be stopping there en route to the Channel Islands, which are off the coast of southern California. There, they will mate with females.

"These are wandering, nomadic critters who tend to work their way north and work their way south throughout the year," Costa said.

Migratory Pattern

The mobility and migration patterns of sea lions along the western coast remain mostly unknown to researchers.

In an effort to learn more about the migratory patterns of these creatures and to observe potential differences in their travel and foraging strategies based on ocean conditions, Costa's group has started following female and juvenile sea lions around the California coast.

With time, scientists may also learn more about how the species will be impacted by the climate catastrophe and rising ocean temperatures.

"But I bet a number of these guys are frequent visitors to Pier 39. Probably it's one of their favorite places, and they keep coming back for the good food," said Costa.