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.<\/p>\n
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.”<\/p>\n
“He’s an incredible sight,” she said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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. \u00a0 <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Their populations have decreased by about 77% to 81% from the 1970s to the early 2000s, according to NOAA.<\/p>\n