Evening view from Pier 41, towards bay waters, tourists watching sea lions on pontoons at Pier 39, San Francisco, California
The sea lions at Pier 39 are a major tourist attraction. They began to appear here, although the exact reasons are unclear, after the Loma Prieta Earthquake in October 1989. By January 1990 many more had arrived. The Marine Mammal Centre , devoted to the rescue and rehabilitation of marine mammals, recommended they be allowed to stay. Numbers rise and fall with the seasons, but the highest number of sea lions yet recorded at Pier 39 was 1701 in November 2009. A majority of the sea lions are male, 7 ft ( m ) long and weighing in at 850 lbs (390 kg). A sign at the site (left of shot) asks tourists not to feed or harass our sea lion friends. Pier 39, itself, is a shopping centre, with shops, restaurants, and an 'Aquarium of the Bay'.
Size: 4221px × 2546px
Location: Pier 39 sea lions, from Pier 41, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, California, USA
Photo credit: © robert harrison / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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