Meet Chonkers - the sea lion causing a splash in San Francisco

San Francisco is one of America's most popular tourist destinations, but it's recently been drawing in a crowd for a very different reason.

A huge and very confident sea lion - nicknamed Chonkers by locals - has taken over part of the busy waterfront in the city.

He's become a bit of a local celebrity, with people travelling from across the country to watch the 1,000kg sea lion as he relaxes, barks and naps in the sunshine.

Chonkers isn't the usual type of sea lion spotted there, and experts say that's one of the reasons why he's causing such a splash.

Chonkers first appeared at San Francisco's Pier 39 around a month ago, when he hauled himself onto the pier and decided to stay.

While Californian sea lions can typically be seen in the area, there's something extra special about Chonkers, which helped make him a star.

That's because he is a Steller sea lion, and he quickly stood out for his huge size.

Thought to weigh around 1,000kg, Chonkers is one of at least two Steller sea lions spotted among the smaller California sea lions this month.

The animals are more commonly found in the colder waters of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, making sightings in the San Francisco Bay area less common.

Claire Cook, from the local Aquarium of the Bay, explained: "We've got a couple of Steller sea lions that are here on the docks right now. This is a bit unusual.

"You don't usually see them this far south, and they tend to associate mostly with other Steller sea lions."

Despite being bigger than the other sea lions on the dock, experts think that Chonkers isn't fully grown yet.

Ms Cook added: "He could put on a few hundred more pounds [around 100 kilograms].

A fully grown male Steller sea lion can grow to more than three metres in length, and weigh over 1,100kg.