An International Star
While he made his start as a local Reddit phenomenon, Chonkers has swept the nation, and he’s even started making international news.
Check out some of his feature articles and news clips!
CHONKERS IN THE NEWS
He's Gone Viral!
Social media always sees it first — Chonkers started going viral on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook way before he hit the national newsstands.
Watch some of his social media highlights below!
Where It All Started...
Before Chonkers became a national treasure and was being shortlisted for the city of San Francisco mascot by ABC News, he started gaining traction on Reddit after being spotted hauling out on the docks on March 13th, 2026!
How You Can Identify Him
We’ve been seeing some Chonkers impersonators floating around out there… To make sure you’ve spotted the right guy, compare your findings with the graphic below!
If you have any doubts that the sea lion you’re seeing really is the big guy, it’s probably one of the imposter California Sea Lions trying to catch a bit of the Chonkers fame. Trust us — you’ll know him when you see him!
Where You Can Spot Him
If you’re lucky and he happens to be gracing The PIER with his presence during your visit, you’ll be able to spot him hauling out on the floats at K-Dock.
Be there before 10 AM for the best chance at catching Chonkers. If you’re hitting the docks after that, he’s likely already heading out to brunch like a true San Franciscan. Occasionally, he’ll make a surprise afternoon visit, so take a look at the Sea Lion Live Camera to check his status throughout the day!
We've Heard Your Questions...
We’ve gotten some questions about Chonkers (and other Stellers of his kind), and we talked to the Marine Mammal Center for answers.
Check out some of the most asked questions and their answers below!
Stellers typically reside in colder waters, is there a reason that he would continue to reside here in the bay?
Steller sea lions typically live in colder temperate to subarctic waters of the North Pacific Ocean along the West Coast up to Alaska, they will occasionally pass through San Francisco Bay when prey is abundant. It is currently anchovy season in San Francisco Bay, which means there is plenty to eat. Additionally, the Farallon Islands, only 30 miles west of the Golden Gate Bridge, is also an important marine sanctuary that is known to be a vital breeding ground and haul-out site for Steller sea lions.
They seem to cohabitate with the California sea lion population just fine, is that typical? Or do they usually stay isolated to their individual species?
Like California sea lions, Steller sea lions are very social animals. They are known to share rookeries and haul outs with California sea lions, so hauling out on the docks together is normal behavior for them.
Is he part of the Eastern or Western population of Steller sea lions?
The Steller sea lions we see in California are actually part of the Eastern population which resides along the US and Canadian Pacific coast. The Western population is found along the Alaskan and Russian coast. The Western population is listed as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act and is protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
There are rumors that they can mate with the California sea lions — is this true? If so, do we see this in wild settings?
Though rare, there have been some documented cases of Steller sea lions and California sea lions reproducing in the wild. There is a significant size difference between the two species, with Steller sea lions being about 3x the size of California sea lions which makes this mating pair potentially dangerous to the smaller female California sea lions. If successful mating did occur, sadly, it is very unlikely that the offspring would be unviable (passing away before birth or shortly after or unable to reproduce).
Learn More About the Sea Lions
While Chonkers has been a relatively new resident, the sea lions have been lounging around PIER 39 for over 35 years!
To learn more about their story and history with The PIER, check out the link below.