April 30 (UPI) — Crowds are flocking to San Francisco’s Pier 39 — including some from across the country — to catch a glimpse of a rare visitor to the city: a massive sea lion.
The Steller sea lion, dubbed Chonkers, has been seen lounging among the much smaller California sea lions on the docks in recent weeks.
Steller sea lions can grow up to 11 feet long and weigh as much as 2,500 pounds, making them about twice the size of California sea lions.
“They’re so big because they dive deep and they swim in much colder waters than even here in San Francisco Bay,” Sheila Chandler, the Pier 39 harbor master, told KGO-TV. “So they need all that blubber for sure.”…