Pier 39’s Sea Lions and Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco By Lee Foster The sea lions of Pier 39 and the popular Aquarium of the Bay, celebrating all the Bay creatures, help make Pier 39 one of the most visited attractions in San Francisco. Paul and Charlie Foster meet the sea lions at Pier 39, San Francisco Who would have guessed that in 1989 a large marine mammal species, sea lions, would begin taking over many of the 300 sailboat slips at this location, where Beach Street meets Embarcadero? This happy and accidental marriage of nature and commerce continues to thrill millions of visitors each year. You can dial into the webcam at any moment to see how many local pinniped residents are lounging on the sailboat slips. See http://www.sealioncenter.org/ The sea lions are extremely low cost and highly popular street (or should we say water level) entertainers for Pier 39. All that is needed are some bleachers for their fans and an elevated second level viewing place for more fans. Sea Lions are “opportunistic” feeders, meaning they will eat a range of available fish, with the winter herring migration providing many tasty meals. Sea lions relaxing in the sun at Pier 39 in San Francisco The Sea Lions On the second story level above the bleachers there is a Sea Lion Center, dedicated to explaining these creatures to the public. Soft stuffed toys of sea lions are a favorite for young children. As many as 900 sea lions have been known to congregate and socialize at Pier 39. Their full vocalization is quite an overpowering symphony at times, with seagulls sometimes providing a counterpoint in the music. Winter is the time of concentrated gathering. In summer many sea lions swim out to the ocean, from Vancouver to the tip of Baja. The main pupping area is the Channel Islands, in June. Sea lions live up to 25 years and the large males may reach 850 pounds. Naturalists from Aquarium of the Bay gives talks about sea lions at the sea lion viewing area. A sea lion may eat up to 10 percent of its body weight in fish per day. Getting tangled in plastics or ingesting plastics is one of their main challenges today. Aquarium of the Bay Aquarium of the Bay, developed in partnership with a conservation organization known as the Bay Conservancy, displays the numerous creatures living in the immediate San Francisco Bay. Paul Foster has a close encounter with a giant red pacific octopus at Aquarium of the Bay, Pier 39, San Francisco Appealing tunnel exhibits give the visitor, literally, a fisheye-eye view of the under- the-bay scene. A nearshore tunnel shows the salmon and starfish. An offshore tunnel exhibits the larger sharks and giant sturgeon. A jellies gallery and a giant red octopus display are crowd favorites. Many intriguing species, from sevengill sharks to sea bass, swim alongside or overhead of the visitor. Touch tanks for children permit a tactile encounter with starfish, bat rays, and other durable and gregarious sea life. The Aquarium’s website athttp://www.aquariumofthebay.org/ provides some engaging portraits of crowd-favorite residents, such as river otters. Daily naturalist talks cover subjects from sharks to giant octopi. Feedings show the animals in their most alert modes. A behind-the-scenes tour even allows participants to feed sharks a bucket of seafood. Animal encounters are planned each day, with close-ups of California king snakes and blue-tongued skinks. Paul and Charlie Foster meet a bat ray at Aquarium of the Bay, Pier 39, San Francisco The mission of the Aquarium includes inspiring conservation in the public and advocating for environmental improvement. Achievable goals include restoration of salmon habitat in all the rivers that empty into San Francisco Bay and serving “sustainable” seafood in the home. Pier 39 Pier 39 is a 45-acre complex adjacent to Fisherman’s Wharf that offers views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the Bay Bridge. Besides seeing the sea lions and the Aquarium, visitors linger at its 14 restaurants and 90 shops. Fog Harbor Fish House, for example, serves sustainable seafood and offers a view of the Golden Gate. Wipeout is an example of a lively “surf theme” restaurant with a kids’ menu including mac and cheese. There is a street-performer stage, a carousel for young children to ride, and a trampoline attraction for older children. A California Welcome Center on the upper level assists visitors with regional information. Check out the website at http://www.pier39.com to print out a Fun Pack coupon good for two hours of free parking ($9/hour) in the large garage across the street from Pier 39. Take the coupon to the California Welcome Center to get the parking validation. Pier 39 is a favorite site for festive events, such as viewing July 4 fireworks or watching carolers sing during the December Christmas/Holiday period. — San Francisco figures prominently in my book/ebook titledThe Photographer’s Guide to San Francisco. My main book/ebook on Northern California isNorthern California Travel: The Best Options. Those volumes, including some more on California, can be seen on my Amazon Author Page. My further books on Northern California are Back Roads California and Northern California History Weekends. One of my California books, Northern California Travel: The Best Options, is now available as an ebook in Chinese. Pier 39’s Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco.