The best spot of Pier 39 area to experience the Sea Lion saga. Especially during the evening time the view comes to its best while most of the Sea Lions can be spotted with their roaring voices which spread through the area attracting tourists towards them.It is basically a dock which is maintained for them (Sea Lion family) and on a daily basis it hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors while emerging as a popular hangout destination for family and friends.

See Sea Lion in their natural habitat. See the animals climbs to the wooden platform from sea take rest and then go back to sea. Watch them doing friendly fighting, push each other out of the platform.Nice eating places in the same area ( pier 69)

A must to visit in Sam Francisco! Its amazing looking at these sea lions take naps and dips in front of you at such close proximity where you can get great photos and watch them upclose. The best thing about it that it is absolutely free and you can drop by whenever you are around the Fishermans Wharf or Pier39.

Adorable! i could sit there for hours watching the cute sea lions and the rest of the ocean. i think the best time to see it would be at sunset. it’s great to take cute pics! but the sea lions are sooo cute and it’s funny watching them bark and interact with one another.

Its quite windy and cold. Parents with children had better take hat and scarf for childre. The sea lion sang a lot and swam swiftly in the harbor. Well done!

It was fun to watch the sea lions. They are gone mostly in summer, but we were able to catch a few.

Such a magical place to watch wild sea lions up close! Id recommend going just before sunset as it looks so pretty. It does get busy at the weekends but you can normally find a spot to watch them. There is also a small visitors center with interesting information on the level above the viewing platform (open till 5:30pm). From what I can remember there are more sea lions around in the winter months. We visited in December and there were around 700! This is a must visit if youre in San Francisco.

Wonderful collection of san franciscans

Great place to teach and show the kids what sea lions are and how they sound like. My son barked like a sea lion all the way home. Lovely.

Popular spot at pier 39. Come here often for your guiding my friends. Summer time would be better to watch more sea lions enjoying life while humans enjoying watching them.

This pier (39) is probably the highlight of all North Beach, embarcadero and Fishermans wharf.The sea lions are cute and so entertaining. Its so fun to see them being silly or pushing each other into the water. Best thing is that its totally free to watch these amazing animals.

Its fun to see all the seas lions sleeping, fighting over piers. Only down side is so many seals in such a small area generates a pretty strong smell.

I enjoy this so much. A great staff member made a point to make my experience wonderful. She explained all of my questions. Taught me the difference between sea lions and seals. She even put sea water under a microscope and identified organisms. This was my favorite thing I did. She really made my trip great.

Enjoyed visiting and watching the seals sleep with family. Always an interesting spot to relax for a moment from all the walking and enjoy looking at these cute sleepy animals haha

Always a peaceful event to watch these sea lions play together. Socially distanced stickers placed throughout.

A small family of sea lions were basking in the morning sunshine. It was so nice to hear them and see them.

Fantastic location with funny sea lions that chills in the sun. I went to ask some questions and the the sea lion ranger (or what the personal is called) was really kind to explain everything and answer my questions about the sea lions. I will absolutely recommend going there.

We were in San Francisco for our nieces wedding and spent some time at Pier 39 to watch the sea lions and seals. Always fun to watch. Worth the time if you are here

Great natural attraction off the ward, not a place you want to spend a lot of time due to the noise and smell!

Super cool! Ive never seen so many sea lions up close and with my own eyes! Very cool to see and experience, especially the sounds that they make. Highly recommended!

Really fun to see the sea lions! This is a great spot to walk around. The middle boardwalk was very crowded but if you stay near the perimeter it isnt too bad.

The sea lions camped out in PIER 39s West Marina have been endearingly coined, Sea Lebrities. These boisterous barking pinnipeds started arriving in droves, taking over the docks in January 1990 shortly after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. At first they numbered from 10-50, but due to a plentiful herring supply, available dock space and the marinas protected environment, the population grew to more than 300 within a few months. Each winter, the population can increase up to 900 sea lions, most of which are male. During the summer months, the sea lions migrate south to the Channel Islands for breeding season, but in recent years a small group stays year-round at PIER 39s K-Dock.

The employee went out of his way to offer a meaningful service to us. Not only did he patiently answer our questions, he offered much useful information. While this center is small, a lot of information is packed into this snacks. You could spend anywhere from 5 minutes to —1 hour here. Afterwards, check out the sea lions on Pier 39.

Such a great place!!! Kids loved watching the sea lions

Lovely sight but they were not playing that much

Great attraction for the whole family. This place is amazing. A lot of sea lions. I spent here almost one hour watching them. They are so interesting and cute animals. Very nice place.

Exactly what it says on the tin. A place where you can see sea lions. Definitely worth a visit and a great place to spend some time watching them getting all upset with one another. As youd expect, its a busy area and you might have to wait to get a really good viewing spot!

It was great! I learned about how terrible we treat the world and how pollution is ruining everything. The Sea Lions were SO cute and I hope we, humanity, make large and fast changes to keep our planet alive and healthy :)

A great little place to take the family to see the seal lions. Its free and fun.

Such a great experience and highlight of my trip to San Francisco... the sea lions are loud, a little stinky, entertaining and incredibly cute!! I could have watched them interact for hours. They are a must see when you are in San Francisco (Pier 39). Eat at Fog Harbor restaurant while you are at Pier 39 to see the Sea Lions... delicious!!!

I have been to this place many times and I love it. There is a good view of the ocean, you can watch the sea lions or go on a boat tour. Its is wheelchair accessible and there is tons of items to purchase on site.

It was a great experience. I was able to see the sea lions and to have a great time with my family. We had a blast

Lot of fun watching the sea lions laze about. Can get pretty crowded so be prepared to wait for a good spot.

Excellent as always! My family and I enjoy coming to visit Pier 39! A little shopping and great food is always a great time spending time with family.

Nice place to spend sometime. Kids love it. At Pier 39

Cant say enough about how fun it is to enjoy watching the sea lions here! These are truly in the wild sea lions, not in captivity, which makes you feel ethical about watching them sun bathe and enjoy the beautiful weather on Pier 39.

Smells super fishy. You may get nauseous. But the sea lions are so sweet and cute. We loved them

I would spend hours, days watching sea lions and...trying to understand their language. Very touristic place so...you know what to expect, right?Pleasant experience.

Interesting exhibits and staff is knowledgable about the local sea lion population

Great place to visit. I was on the northside and it has less people, a little farther, but still a great view. Just sea lions,.doing sea lion things with their friends. Also, the sunset is a pretty great view.

It is always fun to watch nature. Lots of great restaurants and shops in the area.

Beautiful place, funny sea lions noises, georgeous pier structure.

This was one of my favorite experiences in San Francisco. I was not expecting to see so many sea lions, and they were so entertaining!

Rating is more to do with the crowds of people cramming against the fence to take dozens of pictures of sleeping sea lions rather than the sea lions themselves. The sea lions were being playful, and enjoying some sleep in the sun. A fun scene.

Fun to watch these creatures. And its free!

There are no words to describe how awesome is to get closer to this place and start hearing the sea lions

Smelly but super cute and fun to watch them

My favorite place in Pier 39! Love to see this folks yelling and saying hello! Recommend!

By far my favorite part of our trip. It was great getting to watch the sea lions!

You can say the kids had so much fun. We did too but it was for the kids this day.

Great views of the sea lions and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Not to miss the piers where the seals hangouts. Kids would definitely enjoy the antics of the young seal that keep pushing each other on to the water.

The sea lions are amazing! They never shut up!

This is a classic spot at Pier 39. Theres always at least a handful of sea lions on the docks, and during the fall theyre overflowing with the raucous water dogs barking and fighting for positioning.Its also a great spot to view the Golden Gate Bridge on clear days or to just watch the fog roll in on a typical San Francisco evening. I always make my way out here when Im in the city and feel like being tourist-y.

Free viewing area of sea lions off the end of Pier 39. Includes raised platforms behind the railed areas on the pier as well as a second deck for a higher vantage point. Usually attracts large crowds taking pictures of sleeping/sunbathing sea lions. Access via the left side of the pier or through various small alleys on the left side as one heads to the end of the pier (through the stores & attractions)

Just stumbled upon this area and was pleasantly surprised to see so many sea lions!!!

A must visit when coming to San Francisco. Watching and listening to the sea lions is just mesmerizing. Come in the day time and also in the night, to see 2 different experiences. During the day, the sea lions are more active and at least a few could be swimming around. At night, almost all are perched up in the deck resting. Good place to spend time and enjoying the cool breeze. At night it can get a bit chilly.

The Sea Lion Center is amazing. One can hear the sea lions way before you can see them. Dont miss this great attraction!

Whats not to love about sea lions? Onk onk onk.

It is great to watch and listen to the sea lions. They hang out here just as happy as they can be. They love to lay and sun themselves.

Its fun to see the sea lions interact but it gets crowded and it does smell bad. If you happen to be there do swing by but dont make too much of a big deal over it.

The name says it all. This site delivers exactly what the name implies.

So fun to watch the sea lions

This is probably one of the best attractions in the neighborhood of Fishermans wharf. The camaraderie of the wild sealions with the young babies between the whole adult pack will melt your heart. Dont miss this if you are in the area.

They simply bring joy to people.

Had a fun with kids. Merry go round, build a bear shop and ice cream

Watching the Sea Lions is a must see if in SF. They are absolutely adorable!

This is nother good place to visit in San Francisco. It is family friendly.

Free entertainment. Beautiful to watch the sea lions.

Amazing view to one of natures great mammal

Nice place to hang out, grab some food or snack. You can enjoy the ocean view and the Sea Lions. Also ferry tours and more...

If youre in SFO, this is one of those go-to-touristy spots. If yall have ever been to Seattle then youd probably know about the fish throwing at the market. This is sorta iconic like the fish throwing. During this time when fall is rolling in, its especially nice to watch the lions sunbathe while catching some Vitamin D as well

Great spot great views kids and wife loved it

Memories of the wharf satisfied by seeing that the ecology is still good for these creatures. Big crowds to photo these with the boats in the bay as background.

Tens of sea lions lay here for the sunshine. Sometimes, they fight each other for the best spots. But it smells really bad. Its the you-must-check spot.

While watching the sea lions sun bath and play. We were fortunate to meet one of the volunteer employees of the SL Centre. Who gave us lots of info regarding her role monitoring the SLs. Definateley worth a visit. Be prepared for the strong smell.

Enjoyed visiting and watching the seals sleep with family. Always an interesting spot to relax for a moment from all the walking and enjoy looking at these cute sleepy animals haha

Amazing experience, funny how the sea lions play, rest and shout :) you can just stand there and watch them, unforgettable

Great little side thing to do and its free.

Very interesting place for the children to see more details of the local sea life.

Love these interesting fellows. Very entertaining.

Interesting wee spot with plenty of sea lions swimming/sunbathing and even wrestling with each other at times.

Didnt go into the Center itself. But you do see sea lions from the deck.

One of a kind experience at Pier 39! The place is easy to spot since you can hear the sea lions from quite some distance.

Barking madness. Love it. Great entertainment lol.

It was very nice. It was fun watching them sun bathe and hear them howl.

A must see when visiting Pier 39. Very entertaining and plenty of photo and video moments to take.

Nice place to chill and yes not to miss to click lot of sea lions there with their sounds

Amazing and informative. Very interactive and interesting for my 9 and 7 year old niece and nephew.

Totally amazing. You could spend your entire day just Studying this bit of nature.

Well worth the visit but its stinks, reminded me of being back at work (Im a fish filleter)

The best experience in SF.Me and my family we really enjoyed it.Gorgeous!!!

This was a true treat. If you visit this area, do yourself a favor and visit. The smell is really bad but its worth it.

Sea Lion center is a family friendly place. Lot of open sace to watch the aea Lions. Beautiful while sun set time. Restaurents and near by so grab food watch the bulky sea Lions. Public transport is the best to reach this place. Ferry ternimal is 100 feet away from Sea Lion center.

Amazing area! Pier 39 is great, especially with the seals!

OMG a great place to spend a couple of hours.This place is at FISHERMANS WHARF IN San Francisco.You will have plenty of opportunity to take photos and laugh your head off. The only downside is there are no chairs. Standing room only which kinda sucks.

Nice place to see sea lions in the city.Located right next to the pier 39.Sea lions make a lot of noise. Other than that, they are lazy AF.

Great place to see sea lions.

For an out of town we, this was the highlight of my trip to San Francisco. With so many places to eat, shop, and visit around - it was really cool to see the sea lions in the middle of it all. Plenty of viewing areas so even on crowded days, you have an excellent spot for viewing.

Nice to see the sea lions in their natural habitat and supported by the city of SF.