Next to the Other Sea Lions, 'He's Like a Volkswagen!'

An intrepid sea lion nicknamed Chonkers is waddling his way into the hearts of tourists and locals who've flocked to San Francisco's Pier 39 for a glimpse of the massive pinniped. On Thursday morning, visitors snapped photos as the Steller's sea lion flopped on the pier, surrounded by dozens of much smaller California sea lions that call the docks home, per the AP. "He's like a Volkswagen! He's so huge!" said one visitor from Los Angeles who had time to run down to the pier in the Fisherman's Wharf district for a hopeful peek at the creature. "I have heard everywhere about this big giant sea lion, and I like to look at things, so just thought I'd check it out."

Chonkers likely came from up north off the coast of Washington or Oregon and is estimated to weigh between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds, said Laura Gill, public programs manager at the Marine Mammal Center in nearby Sausalito. Chonkers has been one of the few Steller's sea lions to make its way to the pier, which is protected from predators and crashing waves while providing a fish-filled buffet. "There's plenty of food in San Francisco Bay for them, so the fish, the rockfish, the anchovies, the herring—there's a lot of easy prey for them," Gill said.

The giant sea lion, which was first spotted on the pier last month, has brought the community together, said San Francisco resident Danielle Ovadia. "He's so precious, and he's quite literally humongous," she said. Sea lions have become synonymous with the popular tourist pier, but they didn't start gathering there until after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, according to the marina. One lone male was quickly joined by dozens more, and by February 1990, the pinniped population had grown to more than 300.

Chonkers has been spotted at the docks early in the morning, but he's harder to pin down during the rest of the day, Gill said. She noted that it's endearing to watch him try to snuggle with the regular sea lions for warmth, and that it will be interesting to see if other Steller's sea lions follow suit. "He's trying to fit in, but he sticks out like a sore thumb," she said.