Record number of barking mad sea lions take over famed San Francisco pier
More than a thousand sea lions flocked to bustling Pier 39 in San Francisco, the greatest concentration of these endearing animals in fifteen years. These were not shy aquatic mammals, basking, barking, and vying for best spots on the docks by the famous Ferris wheel at Fisherman’s Wharf.
Experts surmise that the population explosion is due to an increase in anchovies, which are a preferred food source for sea lions. The crowd of sea lions turned out to be a delightful surprise for bystanders who were compelled to pause and take in the cute, chubby guests.
“It looks like a bunch of kids vying for a big spot on the couch,” tourist Les Oakes remarked to the outlet on Tuesday, “pretty cool.”
When a record-breaking 1,700 sea lions occupied the docks in 2009, Pier 39 last saw a gathering of this magnitude, according to CBS News.
![The assembly was seen in a popular area frequented by tourists at Fisherman's Wharf. Record number of barking mad sea lions take over famed San Francisco pier](https://theaegisalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/Record-number-of-barking-mad-sea-lions-3.jpg)
They are so sweet and funny; I adore them. “It feels like they are pushing each other into the water,” Italian visitor Aurora Zantile told ABC 7.
The harbormaster of Pier 39, Sheila Chandor, attested to the fact that the marina had, in fact, tallied about a thousand sea lions that week.
![A record-breaking number of over 1,000 sea lions gathered at the Pier 39 docks. Record number of barking mad sea lions take over famed San Francisco pier](https://theaegisalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/Record-number-of-barking-mad-sea-lions-1.jpg)
“We haven’t had these kind of numbers of sea lions for probably over 15 years,” Chandor added.
![The surge in population can probably be attributed to a sudden increase in the number of anchovies in the region. Record number of barking mad sea lions take over famed San Francisco pier](https://theaegisalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/Record-number-of-barking-mad-sea-lions-2.jpg)
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