Environment News Waterfront

Citywide Statues Commemorate 30th Anniversary of Sea Lions’ Arrival

BY JOEL WILLIAMS

The statues represent a diverse mix of styles, and each includes technological features to allow public interaction. Photo by Joel Williams

It was shortly after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake shook the Bay Area that the first sea lions began hauling out onto the piers in the Pier 39 marina. It was a few here and there at first, but by January 1990 their numbers had reached 500—at one point they topped out at 1,400.

Before long, the sea lions had overrun the marina’s K-Dock. It soon became clear that this pinniped colony had claimed the area as their new home, apparently due to the protected environment and close proximity to a reliable and abundant food source in the Bay.

In the aftermath of the earthquake, tourism had plummeted as San Francisco was rebuilding. The sea lions earned the City some much needed positive coverage with both national and international headlines and news stories. Stakeholders made a decision to find a way to keep the federally protected sea lions as residents of Pier 39.

At first, not everyone was happy to see the new noisy and smelly residents. The marina’s tenants were being rather inconvenienced by the 600-pound visitors who were not paying for the rental space they were occupying, and it soon became clear that some sort of solution was needed. Those who wanted the sea lions removed came up with suggestions to repel the invaders, including cruel actions like covering the docks they were occupying with broken glass.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed proclaimed January 16 Sea Lion Day in the City. Photo by Joel Williams

The marina staff decided to consult the Marine Mammal Center, an organization that studies, rescues and rehabilitates marine mammals, for advice on how to handle the situation. Ultimately, the marina relocated the affected boat owners and let the sea lions take over K-Dock.

Many expected them to stay for a while and eventually move on. Fortunately for Pier 39, they never did.

Taylor Safford, Pier 39’s CEO, has worked on the pier for over 40 years. “For three decades, this herd of sea lions has made

Pier 39 their home. And over that time, over 250 million people have watched the sea lions bark, roughhouse and play king of the mountain on the docks below,” he said. “We are so proud to have been stewards for this amazing group of pinnipeds.”

In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the sea lions’ arrival in San Francisco, 30 six-foot sea lion statues painted by 30 Bay Area artists are being placed in different locations throughout the City—one for every year the sea lions have been at Pier 39. Conceived by the Smithsonian-affiliated Aquarium of the Bay, the Sea Lion Center and jointly implemented with Pier 39, this art installation is part of the largest STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) initiative currently underway in California.

As part of the STEAM initiative and in an effort to bring together art and science, each statue will have a QR code that can be scanned for multi-lingual information focused on environmental sustainability and ocean conservation. Each uniquely hand-painted statue reflects the local artist’s experience with sea lions and their environment. Young and old are encouraged to visit and learn from the statues, many of which are along the Embarcadero.

A map helps direct visitors to the locations of the 30 sea lion statues. Most, but not all, are situated on the San Francisco waterfront. Map courtesy of Aquarium of the Bay

“The port is proud to host the sea lion installation all along the waterfront,” said Elaine Forbes, executive director of the Port of San Francisco. “We love seeing the majestic marine mammals in the water and are looking forward to seeing the artistic renderings dot the waterfront providing residents and visitors inspiration and important information about climate change and sea level rise.”
Last month, Pier 39 hosted a kickoff event that featured San Francisco Mayor London Breed, who regaled those in attendance with stories of her experiences with the world-famous sea lions from her youth before officially proclaiming January 16 as Sea Lion Day in San Francisco.

“I went to Galileo High School, right up the street, and I actually spent a lot of time at Pier 39,” Mayor Breed told the crowd. “I don’t know what it is about watching the sea lions and listening to them but the minutes go by, then sometimes even an hour can go by before you realize that you actually have to go.”

The sea lion statues have been spread throughout San Francisco to some of the most visited areas by both local residents and tourists alike to ensure their messages reach as many people as possible. The statues will remain on display in their respective locations for the rest of 2020.

For more information and to view a complete list of the locations, visit www.sealionlove.org.

JOEL WILLIAMS
Joel Williams has been with Bay Crossings since 2015, starting in advertising sales and becoming the publisher in 2007. He is also a frequent contributing staff writer and photographer.