San Francisco Parties for Return of Runaway Sea Lions (and one of few marine mammal success stories)

Sea lions being admired, courtesy of Pier 39

San Francisco is having a party today to celebrate the return of the best urban marine mammal attractions in the country. The city appreciates its sea lions and is just saying, thank goodness they've come home. When they disappeared from Pier 39 last fall the whole world was worried. (Well, except for those who said that they tend to come and go. Which, it turns out, was right.)

Salty The Sea Lion mascot will be "available for hugs and photos," a press release says. The Pier is also celebrating 20 years of having hundreds of 600-pound predators in a major city. They started showing up after a 1989 earthquake. Instead of getting ousted from valuable real estate, they city enjoyed them as a natural wonder--and created a major tourist attraction.

This could have gone down differently.  The sea lions took over expensive boat docks. Sure, the Marine Mammal Protection Act covers them. But the government is always willing to make exceptions. Oregon fishermen got permission to kill sea lions that hang out at a dam where salmon congregate.

Last year when 1,700 sea lions showed up, they tested San Francisco's tolerance. The harbor drew up plans to keep them away from the nearby Hyde Street Pier.

The population numbers go up and down with weather, currents and food availability, so maybe they won't need to be pushed out. The sea lions' movements are still inscrutable, but the best going theory is that it was good food that brought them in such numbers last year and then herring that took them to the Oregon's Sea Lion Cave over the winter (they usually go south to the Channel Islands).


The California sea lion is making a huge comeback--too big for some. It's one of the few marine mammals whose numbers are healthy and increasing. Of seven sea lion species in the world, only two are not extinct, endangered or threatened, according to the IUCN Red List. The California sea lion is the only one whose population is increasing. Of about 355,000 animals, 238,000 live in California. Even if the disappearance of this crowd was media hysteria over a non-event, that's still something to celebrate.

Where to go to See Seals and Sea Lions 
See the Pier 39 Sea Lion Webcam
Here's where you can see wildlife out West

San Diego Wants to Get Rid of One of Country's Best Seal-Viewing Spots

Despite protests from local residents and the distaste of City Hall, San Diego is on the verge of spending $700,000 a year to play the sound of dogs barking to the 100-some seals at the Children's Pool. The harbor seals (small, gray and shy) and sea lions (big and more aggressive) have been hanging out at the beach for years, delighting tourists, seal protectors and at least some residents.

But others are fighting to use the area the way donor Ellen Browning Scripps originally intended and state law proscribes: for children. The manmade beach is the subject of dueling lawsuits. Valerie O'Sullivan wants to get rid of the seals and she got a state court judge to order the city to get rid of the seals to clean up the bacteria in the water.

Who is Valerie O'Sullivan? A former resident of La Jolla who moved out of the country years ago and isn't even a citizen. So, the city has argued she shouldn't have a say in the matter. But meanwhile, the city had to come up with this absurd, expensive plan to get rid of the seals by playing dogs barking dawn to dusk and spraying water on the seals.

Meanwhile seal lovers and the Animal Protection and Rescue League tried to get protection for the seals in federal court. The federal fisheries agency was no help: they said the city didn't need any special permit to get rid of the federally protected animals. Then again, that was a Bush era ruling, so is anyone surprised?

Meanwhile a third plan to save the seals is that the legislature could just change the the law about the purpose of the beach. San Diego says that the seals will just move to "Mission Beach, Pacific Beach and other nearby coastal spots." Of course if they knew that for sure, there wouldn't be any fuss really. Nobody knows what will become of the seals if they are forced out. It would be a lot easier to move the children's part of Children's Beach to one of those areas. It's a lot easier to get parents to comply with some common sense adaptations--aside from Ms. O'Sullivan. You can't tell seals where to go.

This is also a perfect case for federal protection. This beach is a unique natural attraction in the country. It's one of the few places you can go to see sea mammals reliably hauled out on the beach. The beach itself is no natural wonder; it's one of those giant let's mess with nature infastructure projects that would never get off the ground today. The sea lions that showed up one day at the San Francisco Pier 39 certainly got in the way of boaters. But the city reasonably worked out a way to let them stay--and got a delightful addition to the city.

Pay to Play with a Seal Lion in Boston

New England Aquarium, Boston, Play with Marine Mammals


The New England Aquarium lets you play with their sea lions and seals. In the last few years a number of animal rescue groups and traditional aquariums have hit on the idea of, well, basically, pimping out their animals. You pay a little extra and get a little extra contact, how much depends on how much you pay.
The New England Aquarium has two programs. For $30 you can feed seals, but for $125 you get to help feed, entertain and train sea lions, seals and maybe a large turtle.
It's a small group--just three--and the real trainers are incredibly gracious in letting you enjoy the fun part of their job. Still, I felt a little bit idiotic since it was me and two kids. (They say it's about half and half adults to kids. And that often parents bring kids, but it's obviously really for mom or dad.)
We started off with the sea lions, who are soon leaving for Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. We got to see the sea lions' kitchen and warm indoor pool. When we went outside, the sea lions, Guthrie, an 838 pound mush, and Ballou, a younger, smaller and more shy sea lion.

Guthrie watches the crowds and came by as soon as we walked in--assuming it was feeding time. We got to feel his thick wet fur, massive fins. We each put fish in his mouth, which was big but full of worn down, black teeth so not intimidating. Plus the trainers exude comfort and confidence and Guthrie is very gentle and good-natured. He gave us each a kiss--really just pressed his massive whiskered nose to our face. It was like a 30 pound dog nose that left a trail of slime. Still, very fun.
The training sessions with them are in front of the crowd, so again, a little embarrassing to have paid to the be the adult volunteer among kids, but still totally worth it.

The seals were much more shy, though very excited to get their fish.


Where to See Seals and Sea Lions in the Wild
More Ways to See Wildlife in the Northeast