Sea lions help Fisherman's Wharf post-pandemic economy

SAN FRANCISCO - Mother Nature made humanity possible. Now, some of her furry children are making it possible for crowds of tourists to a major tourist attraction to revive itself from the post-pandemic. 

San Francisco’s Pier 39 is where sea lions are sealing the deal for merchants.

Since a sea lion's lifespan is about 17 years, we see the third generation barking up the Bay. It's one of Pier 39's largest sea lion gatherings, and just in time.

They first showed up after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, drawing enough people to save the Fisherman’s Wharf area from the post-quake recession.

They are doing the same thing now, post-pandemic. 

"Just look at the crowds that are here today. It's been like this for days now since the news got out that we have this incredible resurgence," said Pier 39 Harbormaster Shiela Chandor.

Experts say they're here because their favorite food, anchovies, are plentiful. 

"Right now, I would say about, just over a thousand and that's fluctuated from 900 to about 1200 in the last few days," said Chador.

When sea lions are out of the water, they're called a colony. When they're in the water, they're called a raft.  Whatever, you call them, right now, this is a  "sea lion superbloom." 

"It's a fabulous gift. It's also a natural attraction. We didn't make this happen," said the harbormaster.

Drawn here by the sea lions, we met two cousins--Joanne Below of El Cerrito and Pam Davis--of England--who'd not seen each other for 35 years. 

"I think the last time I saw these seals was twenty years ago," said Below. "When I saw the sun out this morning, I thought ‘perfect thing would be the take the ferry over here to the City and hang out on the wharf.'"

"I love it. I think it's really important that we start getting a little bit more aware of the nature that's around us…People need to understand that we're just one part of this diverse population," said Davis.

The sea lions are protected by the Federal Marine Mammal Protection Act which forbids touching, feeding, or harassing them. 

"They really are funny. It's like a tempest in a teapot. You don't really see anything happening, but they're creating all this drama. And, there's crossover to human behavior, you know, sharing space and getting out of my way," Below.

This will not last much longer as many of the sea lions, especially males, will swim south to the Channel Islands for the breeding season. So, enjoy them while you can.