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Brand New Sea Lion “Pop-Up” Opens at SF’s Pier 39

Brand-new educational experience launches 3 1/2 month summer pop-up at PIER 39 with dockside docents and a pop-up experience.
By - posted 7/7/2023 No Comment

The Marine Mammal Center Partners with PIER 39 to Open Sea Lion Pop-up Exhibit Space, Provide Public Programming at K-Dock

Brand-new educational experience for all ages launches this summer at PIER 39 with dockside docents and a pop-up experience.

More than 30 years ago, California sea lions began making a home for themselves at PIER 39, and now, thanks to a decades-long partnership on behalf of San Francisco’s most iconic marine mammal, the world’s largest marine mammal hospital will too.

Starting June 29, 2023, conservation experts from The Marine Mammal Center will be at two different PIER 39 locations to bring the stories of California sea lions to life as part of a brand-new educational experience for all ages that will culminate in the opening of the Sea Lion Spot, a state-of-the-art permanent exhibit and retail space, in spring 2024.

Sea Lion Pop-Up
Open Daily, June 29 – October 16, 2023
Pier 39, San Francisco
FREE

  • Docent Hours at K-Dock Sea Lion Haul-Out Area – 11:30am – 5pm daily – You can find The Marine Mammal Center’s staff and volunteers at K-Dock, the sea lion haul-out area located in the northwest corner of PIER 39.
  • Indoor Pop-Up Conservation Education Space (upstairs, overlooking sea lion haul-out area) – 11am – 6pm daily – To reach the temporary pop-up experience, take the stairs located just above K-Dock.

At K-Dock, adjacent to the sea lion haul-out area, staff and volunteers from the Center will be available daily from 11:30am to 5pm to talk with visitors about the sea lions and share how we can all take action to keep them safe.

Upstairs, in a space overlooking the sea lion haul-out area, guests will be welcomed daily from 11am to 6pm to explore a special pop-up experience.

Visitors to the pop-up will have the opportunity to talk with conservation experts and learn about the threats California sea lions are facing in San Francisco Bay, such as climate change, ocean trash and overfishing, as well as how to help.

The conservation education space will emphasize the interconnectedness of sea lion health, ocean health and human health. Visitors will be encouraged to join the conservation conversation and pledge to take action in their own lives. The accompanying retail experience will be focused on sustainability, with all proceeds supporting the Center’s mission of global ocean conservation.