Trifter

Vanishing San Francisco Sea Lions

Naturalists, environmentalists and other scientists are baffled as to why hundreds of sea lions have abandoned San Francisco’s Pier 39 in recent weeks? The usual herd of over a thousand sea lions that attract many tourists each year are suddenly gone from their usual hangout along the famous pier. Many locals and environmentalists are asking why have they left………. and where have they gone?

For over 20 years Pacific Sea Lions have graced Pier 39 with their presence. Once deemed a nuisance by the locals, they came to be seen as a transient creature that caused inconvenience only on a seasonal basis. Plus they became a tourist attraction that added an aquatic ambience to the pier at a certain time of the year.

Then on November 21st, 2009 when around 1,000 were counted in the area and then by November 29th, 2009 only 20 were to be found, a mystery began to unfold.  The very strange sudden disappearance of a large group of animals captured the interest of many conservationists, tourists and local San Francisco folks. This mystery may have several possible and viable solutions to answer the questions:  Why did they leave abruptly?… And where have they gone?

THE DISSAPEARANCE THEORIES

Some marine life experts believe the sea lions left to follow their favorite aquatic food – sardines, herring  and anchovies, which may have migrated away from the pier area due to change in water temperature.

Other scientists believe the depletion of their main food source caused them to leave the bay area early and move on the better fish harvesting waters.

Sea lions are migratory animals that move around to various habitats during the year and perhaps they just moved on earlier than usual, some people say.

Unseasonal cold weather in November may have helped cause the sea lions to move on, it another theory.

Some people believe Global Warming is the root cause of the sea lions departure. Warming waters are causing their cold water food resources to vanish so they must seek out new aquatic locations for food.

Another theory believes the sea lions sense impending seismic activity that is looming in the area and they have left to avoid the danger.

The depressed economy has led to less people feeding them so they have moved on to better “hunting grounds”.

Many believe that fisheries are taking too many fish from the oceans and depleting sea lion meal stock fish.

Perhaps the “foul” water around the pier finally became too nasty for even the sea lions to tolerate and they moved on.

Well, for whatever reason the famous Pier 39 Sea Lions have abandoned the harbor that they called home for over 20 years every Fall. Some people have reported seeing large herds in Monterey County estuaries, further south along the California coast. It may be just a simple answer….like there is more food in the southern bay waters. Then again maybe these mariners know and sense something about the natural world that we mere humans do not understand…is “the Big One” coming?