Chonkers the Massive Sea Lion Drew Crowds to San Francisco’s Famed Pier 39. Then, a New Chunky Showstopper Stole His Identity
The Steller sea lion was an unusual visitor to the pier, which usually hosts smaller California sea lions. However, he may have moved on days ago, during which a humongous member of the typical species tricked onlookers
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Since mid-March, a massive Steller sea lion aptly nicknamed Chonkers has been drawing droves of people to San Francisco’s Pier 39.
“He’s like a Volkswagen! He’s so huge!” says Oluwaseyi Akinbobola, a visitor from Los Angeles who hurried to the pier for a chance to see the celebrity animal, to Janie Har and Haven Daley at the Associated Press. “I have heard everywhere about this big giant sea lion, and I like to look at things, so just thought I’d check it out.”
On May 7, however, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Caleb Pershan reported that Chonkers hasn’t been seen for days—and that a very large California sea lion, the more typical species to be seen sunbathing on the floating platforms by the pier, has unwittingly duped visitors and stolen his identity.
San Franciscans are no strangers to sea lions at Pier 39, because the smaller California species has been gathering there since late 1989. By early the next year, they had basically taken over a dock.
Chonkers, however, is a Steller sea lion, a species that dwells in the northern Pacific Ocean, from northern Japan to central California. These are the largest of the “eared seals,” a group that includes all sea lions and fur seals. Males can grow to around 11 feet long and weigh up to 2,500 pounds—around three times the weight of male California sea lions. So when Chonkers arrived, he caused quite a scene.
Fun fact: California sea lions are getting bigger
In 2023, researchers discovered that males of the species have been getting larger—even though their flourishing population should lead to more competition for food. The growth spurt might come from their ability to eat a wide variety of foods, as one scientist described the animals as “the raccoons of the sea.”
“It is quite obvious if you’ve seen the pictures that one of these things is not like the other,” says Adam Ratner, director of conservation engagement at the Marine Mammal Center in California, to Bethany Augliere at National Geographic. Experts estimate that Chonkers weighs between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds.
Laura Gill, the public programs manager at the Marine Mammal Center, tells Livia Albeck-Ripka at the New York Times that Chonkers probably swam about 30 miles from a breeding colony in the Farallon Islands off the coast of San Francisco, traveling under the Golden Gate Bridge and into the San Francisco Bay.
Chonkers likely journeyed to Pier 39 for two simple reasons: food and rest.
“It’s a good place to rest and hang out, and there’s lots of food around,” Ratner tells National Geographic. “That’s really what makes Pier 39 special—it’s a protected area, away from predators,” he adds. Sharks and orcas don’t usually enter the Bay’s shallow waters, and the floating platforms give sea lions a comfortable place to lounge.
What’s more, Chonkers could feast on the plentiful anchovies, herring and rockfish swimming around. That’s basically the life of a male sea lion outside of the breeding season, says Sharon Melin, a biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, to National Geographic.
“They’re in winter mode, just getting fat,” she says. “So, he’s just hanging out—and might be wondering why [the other sea lions] jumped off. They do like to be next to other animals.”
The well-endowed sea lion has brought the San Francisco community together, says resident Danielle Ovadia to the AP. “He’s so precious, and he’s quite literally humongous.”
Chonkers has stopped by the popular sea lion pit stop for the past 15 years, says Sheila Chandor, harbor master at Pier 39 since 1985, to the Times. But typically, he stays for just a few days.
“When he’s sitting on the dock, he’s so big compared to the others,” Chandor adds. “He makes them all look like little kittens.”
Now, it appears the enormous celebrity might have moved on for the season—but his departure went largely unnoticed for days. The case of mistaken identity came to light when a San Francisco Chronicle photographer, Brontë Wittpenn, thought she snapped images of the internet-famous animal on Monday. But upon a closer look, she and her editors realized the sea lion looked smaller and lighter in color than Chonkers, reports the outlet.
Pier 39 spokesperson Sue Muzzin confirmed to the Chronicle that the photographed creature, indeed, was not Chonkers. Ratner tells the publication that the animal isn’t even a Steller sea lion.
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“I’m devastated,” Wittpenn says to the outlet, describing the confusion. “I feel lied to.”
Perhaps sea lion fans will have a chance to see Chonkers next year.
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