An intrepid sea lion nicknamed Chonkers is waddling his way into the hearts of tourists and locals who have flocked to San Francisco’s Pier 39 for a glimpse of the massive mammal. Chonkers likely came from up north off the coast of Washington or Oregon and is estimated to weigh between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds. He has been one of the few Steller sea lions to venture to the pier, which is protected from predators and crashing waves while providing a fish-filled buffet. “There’s plenty of food in San Francisco Bay for them, so the fish, the rockfish, the anchovies, the herring, there’s a lot of easy prey for them,” said Laura Gill, public programs manager at The Marine Mammal Center in nearby Sausalito. Sea lions have become synonymous with the popular tourist pier, but they didn’t start gathering there until after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. One lone male was quickly joined by dozens more and by February 1990, the sea lion population had grown to more than 300.
