Record number of sea lions swarm San Francisco pier; largest gathering in 15 years, officials say
San Francisco's Pier 39 is getting a lot of attention right now. It's seeing the largest number of sea lions gathered in about 15 years.
The sea lions first appeared at Pier 39 after the Loma Prieta earthquake hit in 1989.
Visitors will find a lot to see and do around Pier 39-- the shops, the restaurants, the ferris wheel.
But, perhaps the star attractions right now are the sea lions.
Back in the day, this was a functioning marina, with lots of boats docked. Then a few sea lions moved in, and the boat owners tried to shoo them away, but being a protected species, the sea lions could not be harassed. Then more and more showed up, and have now taken over the entire marina.
Being easily visible from Pier 39, this has attracted more folk to this tourist trap, spending their money at the pier along the way.
I don't have the math, but in terms of net money spent, I'd wager the tourists spend more money at Pier 39 than the boat owners did at the marina. So, in that regard, the sea lions are a net positive for the coffers.
There's a lesson there somewhere, but I don't know what it is.