When California’s famed sea lions mysteriously disappeared from their familiar perch at Pier 39, it made international news.
A public celebration for their return was held on May 21st to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of their arrival at Pier 39. This milestone anniversary is not just for the sea lions, but for the partnership that was established by the Marine Mammal Center and Pier 39. The Marine Mammal Center, an organization devoted to advancing rehabilitation, scientific discovery and education relating to marine mammals, has partnered with Pier 39 to guide and assist the pier in maintaining a healthy sea lion community.
“Over the years, The Marine Mammal Center has provided us with tremendous support in caring for our sea lions on K-Dock,” said Bob MacIntosh, president and CEO of Pier 39, “and we now have friends from all over the world who come to visit our sea lions.”
In January 1990, California sea lions began “hauling out” on Pier 39’s K-Dock shortly after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. They numbered from 10-50, but due to a plentiful herring supply, available dock space and a protective environment, the population grew to more than 300 within a couple of months. The Pier 39 sea lions became an international sensation.
Then in November 2009, right after a record number of these playful mammals—1,706 to be exact—took over K-Dock, their numbers dwindled. “It was an incredibly hard year for California sea lions,” said Jeff Boehm, executive director of the Marine Mammal Center. “We saw a record number of yearling sea lions stranded as a result of an abrupt change in the classic upwelling pattern, which caused their food sources to shift further off shore.”
Huge numbers of California sea lions were spotted off the Monterey Bay and Oregon Coasts where there was a plentiful food supply. Slowly, the sea lions migrated back to San Francisco’s Pier 39, where the population has averaged at about 150-300 for the past month. “Having the sea lions return to Pier 39 not only makes all of their loyal fans happy, but it also brings a normalcy back to a very abnormal period. It’s time to celebrate!” Boehm added.
In honor of Pier 39’s Sea Lion 20th Anniversary, an interactive sea lion game has been developed on the MAPIZ iPhone App. The object of the game is to “save” the sea lions from predators and pollution and bring them back to the Pier 39 docks. The daily winner—the player who saves the most sea lions—will receive a pair of tickets to the RocketBoat, the high-speed thrill ride on San Francisco Bay. MAPIZ is a location-based gaming platform connecting real people in a virtual world. For more information, visit www.mapiz.com.
