Just beyond the parade of t-shirt and scrimshaw shops along San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf is Pier 39, a small marina for pleasure boats and vessels that make daily excursions out to Alcatraz. At the end of the pier, there are about a dozen floating docks the size of a raft to which one might swim and sun themselves during a family vacation at the lake. On each dock, there were several sea lions, splayed out in all of their blubbery glory, as the sun dried the water off of their skin.
Some docks had just a couple of sea lions. Others had as many as 10 or 12, so many that on some, the corner of the dock was partially submerged from the weight.
The sea lions on some rafts slept peacefully, lined up like sardines, their little fin-like arms draped over the creature next to them. One had its tail sticking right up onto the neck of another, like a person’s foot might end up in the face of a friend if the two were sleeping head to toe. The sea lion with the tail in his face didn’t seem to mind. He simply pointed his head upward, lest he would get a fin in his mouth.
Other rafts were less peaceful, as one sea lion– usually a large one – would sit vigil on the corner of the raft and use the top of his head, while bearing his teeth, to keep other sea lions from getting on the raft.
The sea lions on some rafts slept peacefully, lined up like sardines, their little fin-like arms draped over the creature next to them. One had its tail sticking right up onto the neck of another, like a person’s foot might end up in the face of a friend if the two were sleeping head to toe. The sea lion with the tail in his face didn’t seem to mind. He simply pointed his head upward, lest he would get a fin in his mouth.
Other rafts were less peaceful, as one sea lion– usually a large one – would sit vigil on the corner of the raft and use the top of his head, while bearing his teeth, to keep other sea lions from getting on the raft.
On some rafts, this sentry seemed to be protecting his family from intruders, while making sure they had enough room. But on others, there would sometimes be a large sea lion sitting in the middle of a raft all by himself, with plenty of room, and yet if another sea lion dared to climb up, he would rush to the edge and use his head to try to push the invading animal back into the water. As the two animals locked in struggle, their mouths would open revealing a couple of teeth under their whiskers. Their growls sounded like they’d kill over something much smaller.
On one particular raft toward the front of the pier, a sea lion, who had a float all to himself, rushed over to the edge as another sea lion approached. The intruder managed to get onto the float but only just. He was still near the edge when the sea lion already on the raft rushed him and pushed him over the edge.
On one particular raft toward the front of the pier, a sea lion, who had a float all to himself, rushed over to the edge as another sea lion approached. The intruder managed to get onto the float but only just. He was still near the edge when the sea lion already on the raft rushed him and pushed him over the edge.
The intruder made a second go, rushing the raft, climbing on top, but again, as he tried to get himself farther into the middle of the raft, the other sea lion pushed him back into the water. He tried again, only this time, he swam around to the other side of the raft, climbing up onto the corner. The sneak attack gave him a little more time to get farther onto the raft, and before long, he was in a pushing match with the other sea lion, as the two head butted each other and barked. The intruder was now in the more advantageous position, fighting from the middle of the raft, while the other sea lion was slowly being pushed toward the edge.
But then suddenly, the other sea lion seemed to give up the fight. He relaxed his body, and let it sink down to the ground as if he was about to give in. As he did that, the second sea lion relaxed, and as soon as he let his guard down, the first one popped up and swung around so that he had the power position in the middle of the raft and his opponent , putting his opponent to the middle of the raft, putting him once again in the position of power. Soon, he was once again pushing the second sea lion toward the edge of the raft with his head, farther, farther, until the second one dropped backward into the water.
The second sea lion made another rush at the corner of the raft, only to swim around again and sneak onto the back corner of the raft, getting up on top of it, and again pushing his advantage against the first sea lion, only to fall once again for the old "I don’t want to fight anymore” maneuver, wherein the first one once again reversed the situation, got into the power position in the middle of the raft, and pushed the second one backwards until he fell off the edge of the raft and back into the bay. The second one loitered for a moment under the water at the edge of the raft before swimming off, leaving the first one victorious and baying on his empty raft.
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