A Steller sea lion was seen lounging at Pier 39 on Friday morning, a rare visit from a near-threatened species whose usual range is near Alaska.

The Steller was pictured looming large beside a raft of sea lions within eyeshot of the Pier 39 viewing spot. The pier’s harbormaster, Sheila Chandor, said the massive sea lion “hauls out at K-Dock every few years.”

“He’s an incredible sight,” she said.

The Steller sea lion is among the largest members of the “eared seal” family, which includes all sea lions and fur seals, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Stellers are about twice the size of the California sea lions that usually hang out at the pier, and the species can reach 9 to 11 feet in length and weigh up to 2,500 pounds.  

The species was once found in abundance throughout the northeast Pacific region, according to NOAA, and Indigenous peoples and settlers hunted them for their meat, hides, oil and other products.

But due to unexplained widespread population decline in Alaska, the Steller sea lion has been listed as a species under threat of extinction since 1990.

Their populations have decreased by about 77% to 81% from the 1970s to the early 2000s, according to NOAA.

This article originally published at Massive Steller sea lion seen lounging at S.F.’s Pier 39.