visitor walks past the floating docks at Pier 39, once home to hundreds of sea lions
Posted on 12/30/2009 9:28:43 PM PST by bruinbirdman
Hundreds of the animals have relaxed on San Francisco's Pier 39 for the last 20 years, attracting tourists from around the world.
Only last month the pier was groaning under the weight of more than 1,500 sea lions. But now there are less than 10.
visitor walks past the floating docks at Pier 39, once home to hundreds of sea lions
The animals first arrived in 1990, attracted into San Francisco Bay by herring. Their numbers have fluctuated over the years with changing water temperatures and food supplies, but were at record levels earlier this year.
Jeff Boehm, executive director of the Sausalito Marine Mammal Center, said the herd probably moved off to follow their favourite foods, sardines and anchovies.
He said: "Most likely, they left chasing a food source. It's probably what kept them here in the first place."
The animals began leaving in droves late last month. Despite the sea lions' abrupt disappearance, Mr Boehm said they probably have not departed for good. By spring, the herd will probably be back, he said.
Arsalan Ziazie, a 63-year-old tourist, told the San Francisco Chronicle: "I've been coming here for twenty years and every time it's been packed with sea lions.
"It's very strange."
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Or they left because the big earthquake is coming!!!
Tin hat time.
They decided to move to a saner place...they simply became embarrassed...
Of course they left the San Fran pier. They were all straight.
What is now unseen cannot be seen.
Wow. I was just there a month ago. I guess I saw the last large herd there for a while. Maybe it was something I said...?
of course it is due to George Bush and AGW....
.
I’ve got lots of pictures of those sea lions on Pier 39... but that was a few years back... :-)
Perhaps the State of California has stooped to selling blubber to make up the deficit.
Hope & Change. Fewer tourists to feed them - so they split. Headed for Texas.
OK. Now remove all the docks so they don’t come back!.
Actually, that’s the first thing I thought of.
Today, we had 4 minor earthquakes on the west coast - albiet it was in the most southern parts of CA - near the Mexico border.
It sure sounds logical to me .. because the animals are the very first to notice the vitrations of the earth or the water.
The San Andreas has been more than active this year, and the tail end of it reaches right up to the City of SF.
My first thought when I saw this on the news this morning.
I thought for sure someone would post pics of Rosie O’Donnell and her new “girlfriend” as suspects.
Gore killed them.
Maybe they were afraid of catching AIDS.
They’re still around. I saw one panhandling up on Market street.
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