For years, one of
the attractions at Cliff House was watching (and
hearing) the action out at Seal
Rocks, a long-time safe haven for
sea lions not far from the shore
near Cliff House. For ten months
of the year sea lions would
congregate here, sunning
themselves on the rocks, playing
in the surf, and barking
boisterously the whole time.
From late June through
August, they would take some time off,
and head south to the Channel Islands off
the coast of Santa Barbara to breed, but
never failed to return when autumn
arrived. Today, however, Seal Rocks seem
to have fallen out of favor with the sea
lions, who moved to the protected docks
of Pier 39 at Fisherman’s
Wharf following the 1989
earthquake.
