I work at a restaurant in the San Francisco tourist trap known as Pier 39. There are a few restaurants and attractions worth checking out, but the sea lions are the only major reason to check out Pier 39. The sea lions starting hanging out at Pier 39 during September of 1989. At first there were only a dozen or so, but word spread amongst the sea lion community that Pier 39 was a haven from sharks, killer whales, and had an ample food supply. By 2009 there were as many as 1,700 sea lions calling Pier 39 home. That’s a lot of pinnipeds. There aren’t always that many sea lions. Most of them leaving during the winter months, but they typically return by springtime. During spring and summer there are usually a couple hundred lounging out on the docks. Now it’s time for some pinniped facts! Pinniped is Latin for fin feet. Pinnipeds include sea lions, seals, and walruses. You can tell a walrus by its tusks, but it’s harder to tell seals and sea lions apart. The main difference lies in the ears. Seals don’t have ears, only stupid little ear holes where the ears should be. Sea lions have nifty little ear flaps. Seals are silent loners that flop around awkwardly on land. Sea lions are loud social creatures that gather in large groups and can walk on all fours on land. They are called sea lions because they are the lions of the sea – aggressive, agile, carnivores that believe in the circle of life.
Critically Rated at 13/17
Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young
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