'Freeway' the Wayward Sea Lion Spotted Again Traveling Urban San Diego: Sea World Officials Say

Freeway the wayward sea lion was seen again in urban San Diego, California, wobbling in a creek to explore the city.

The sea lion first got its name after being discovered earlier this year on a busy San Diego freeway, a basis where the marine mammal got its name from rescuers.

Freeway the Sea Lion

Freeway was pulled out by SeaWorld rescuers from Chollas Creek, an urban storm drain in San Diego, on April 7, according to SeaWorld San Diego officials in a statement on Monday, May 17, as cited by NBC News.

The sea lion has been sheltered at SeaWorld before deciding if the marine animal can be returned to the ocean.

There were no immediate details provided as to why Freeway keeps on stumbling within urban San Diego.

However, SeaWorld has indefinitely grounded the feisty sea creature for further assessment.

Sea Lion Stranding

The adventurous sea lion first got its name in January when motorists along the lanes of State Route 94 stopped to find Freeway crossing the busy highway, approximately four miles from the San Diego Bay, where its initial route for its original natural habitat was supposed to be.

The concerned motorists helped diver traffic to avoid collision with the wandering sea lion until members of the California Highway Patrol and SeaWorld arrived to rescue the aquatic animal.

Following the highway rescue in January, Freeway was rehabilitated at SeaWorld along with other sea lions which may have been lost away from the Pacific Ocean.

In February, animal rescuers helped Freeway get back into the Pacific waters from a small boat.

A Mysterious Case

Last month's incident is reportedly the seventh time SeaWorld received a report regarding Freeway's wanderlust adventures in California's second-largest city.

Even during the San Diego highway incident in January, marine wildlife rescuers at that time reported it was not the first time Freeway was seen in a peculiar place.

According to the Eric Ojten of the SeaWorld Sand Diego Rescue Team, the reason behind the sea lion's recurring 'inland travels' is not clear, as cited by NBC San Diego.

Often clarified the juvenile male sea lion was first rescued in November 2021 from Harbor Island Drive near the airport.

Since then, they have released Freeway after being involved in similar incidents and returning again in populated areas such as the boardwalk in Mission Beach.

The California sea lion population has seen a significant increase over the years, prompting San Diego authorities to close some popular tourist areas to provide space for the animals, according to a US media outlet.

Sea lions in the past have been reported stranded alive in coastal areas, where some sea lions have been caught loitering near diners in the La Jolla area in Sand Diego, as per NBC News.

Previous reports indicate related sea lion stranding incidents in San Diego were due to a lack of food.

According to the NOAA Fisheries, 8,112 juvenile sea lions were stranded across California between 2013 and 2016.

However, the latest sighting adds to the mystery behind the rare sea lion behavior, as nothing has surpassed yet the inland mileage feat done by Freeway.