Earlier this week 35 sea lions were spotted lounging on Pier 39 to the delight of tourists and city businesses. The Pier 39 sea lions have been a major city tourist attraction and were scheduled to celebrate their 20th Anniversary at Pier 39 but disappeared abruptly late last year. Scientists from the Marine Mammal Center have speculated that the animals migrated north following their food supply but this theory hasn’t been proven.
After record numbers totaling over 1,700 sea lions were recorded on the dock in October of 2009, the disappearance of the animals left tourists very disappointed. Their return has given many people reason to celebrate and the 20th Anniversary celebration has been rescheduled waiting the return of more sea lions to Pier 39. The Marine Mammal Center has reported that throughout the last few weeks there have been up to 100 sea lions on the dock which could mean a fast return of one of San Francisco’s most popular tourist attractions.
