The giant sea lion in particular is what draws Bay Area tourists and residents to San Francisco’s Pier 39 to see the mammal affectionately nicknamed “Chonkers.”
“Chonkers” is a Steller sea lion, which has a larger variety of species than its California sea lion counterparts.
The animal first appeared on Pier 39 about a month ago and attracted interest on online forums like Reddit when it was posted by users. photos And Video The sea lion is basking in the sun and scratching its belly with its slippers.
“Chonkers” weigh about 2,000 pounds and are much larger than California sea lions, which typically weigh no more than 850 pounds and 7 feet in length, according to San Francisco Chronicle.
Male Steller sea lions weigh up to 2,500 pounds, stand up to 11 feet long, and have a lifespan of 20 to 30 years. US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. according to Marine Mammal CenterFemale stellar sea lions can grow up to 9 feet in length and 1,000 pounds.
“Chonkers Stellar Sea Lion is back at Pier 39 today!”. A Reddit user Posted About a month ago in the subreddit r/SanFrancisco. “…Resting in the back. Come and take a peek at him before he swims away.”
Another Reddit user commented in response to the post, “In better times they’d have 20 Twitter accounts.”
Depending on the time of year thousands of sea lions gather at the pier, KRON4 Informed. Port officials told the outlet that the sea lions prefer to flock there because there is abundant food and it is safe from predators.
According to the Marine Mammal Center, adult male stellar sea lions do not have a visible sagittal crest (the bulge on the top of their head) that is seen in adult male California sea lions.
According to the center, Steller sea lions live in the North Pacific and in coastal waters around Japan and central California. Breeding occurs in areas extending from Año Nuevo Island in central California to the Kuril Islands north of Japan, with the greatest concentrations of breeding sites in the Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands.
Steller sea lions can be divided into western and eastern populations and can be differentiated based on physical and genetic differences.
According to the center, Steller sea lion cubs are born from mid-May to mid-July and typically weigh 35 to 50 pounds. Mothers stay with their pups for two weeks before heading out to hunt at sea.
Mating occurs approximately two weeks after the birth of the puppies. Males do not eat during the mating season, but when they do, they eat fish, invertebrates, and other pinnipeds. Killer whales and whale sharks are their known predators.
