A wild sea lion with a reputation for showing up in “odd places” was found wandering a San Diego highway on Friday before a SeaWorld rescue crew corralled the animal.
California Highway Patrol said it received a report of the sea lion’s presence traveling on the eastbound lanes of State Route 94 around 9:40 a.m.
“This specific sea lion has been rescued by SeaWorld’s Rescue team before and has a track record of wandering into odd places,” said SeaWorld San Diego Spokesperson Tracy Spahr, per the San Diego Tribune-Union.
Josefine Jandinger, of Spring Valley, was traveling on the eastbound lanes when she encountered the animal and two people blocking traffic.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes,” she told the San Diego Union-Tribune, adding she pulled out a camera. “I had to capture this because people are not going to believe this. I never expected to see a sea lion on the freeway.”
The CHP arrived at the scene and began to block traffic.
“They stopped it several times but there was times when the traffic was coming and the sea lion was moving quickly, trying to go to one side of the freeway or the other,” Leslie Fernandez, a motorist who encountered the animal, told Fox 5.
SeaWorld San Diego sent a rescue team to the area, which arrived around 10:15 a.m. and captured the sea lion three miles from San Diego Bay, according to the Union-Tribune.
“We got in our truck immediately and rushed down to ensure that the sea lion, obviously, wasn’t hit by a car,” said SeaWorld rescue team supervisor Jeni Smith, per the outlet. “Being on the freeway is very, very unsafe for a sea lion.”
She added she had a hunch it was a sea lion they had rescued from unusual places in the past.
“It does fit the description of an animal we have gotten reports about that — he’s been in some precarious areas, but they’ve all been next to the water,” said Smith.
Later in the day, SeaWorld confirmed the sea lion’s identity.
“In the beginning of November, this sea lion was rescued from Harbor Island Drive near the airport,” Spahr told the Union-Tribune via email. “After about a week of care, the animal was deemed ready and was returned. In December, the same sea lion was seen right along the boardwalk in Mission Beach, near a deli in Mission Bay and on the Navy Base in Point Loma.”
“SeaWorld’s veterinarians will continue to assess the animal and give it the rehabilitation it needs,” she added.
The National Marine Fisheries Service will dictate whether the sea lion should be released into the wild yet again or if it should remain in captivity, a SeaWorld spokesperson told Fox 5.