Chonkers II? Large Stellar Sea Lion Makes Appearance at Pier 39
Sep 03, 2026
Does Chonkers have a brother? Did Chonkers start a trend among his Stellar sea lion bros? Whatever the case, we appear to have a rare second sighting of a second Stellar sea lion over by Fisherman's Wharf.Visitors to Pier 39 on this gray Thursday were delighted to see a new attraction on the sea lio
n docks. It was, as ABC 7 has confirmed, a Stellar sea lion, but it was not a return of Chonkers himself. It appears to be a different Stellar sea lion who had the same idea as Chonkers and came to rest with his smaller California sea lion compatriots after feasting on anchovies or whatever he found in the Bay.
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It's odd that this Stellar sea lion wouldn't be Chonkers — who got his name on Reddit we believe — only because Chonkers was an outlier himself. The sea lion stuck around at Pier 39, among his much smaller friends, for about six or seven weeks this past spring, likely lulled into some state of comfort by the anchovy-rich waters of the Bay, before going on his merry way in early May.While he stuck around, Chonkers became something of a sensation, making national news and inspiring more than one Bay to Breakers costume.Sheila Chandor, harbormaster for the Pier 39 marina, told the Wall Street Journal at the time that while Stellar sea lions might make occasional appearances on the docks, none had ever stayed so long.Stellar sea lions, which can weigh up to 2,500 pounds, typically live further out in the open ocean, with the majority of the population sticking near the coast of Alaska.Today's sighting would appear to be one of those more occasional visitors, but we'll see if they stick around in a similar fashion to Chonkers.Previously: Chonkers the Stellar Sea Lion Appears to Have Left the Bay For Now
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