Maybe it was just looking to hitch a ride.
A large sea lion presented an unusual traffic hazard on a road in Cosmopolis, Washington, following a recent rainstorm. The stubborn sea lion planted itself there on the road long enough for local police to snap a few photos and issue a warning on social media.
The Cosmopolis Police Department (CPD) warned motorists on Facebook to exercise caution when traveling on Blue Slough Road. The warning stated that “in addition to water over the roadway, a large friend is hanging out in the roadway.”
CPD also wrote, “This wasn’t on my bingo card for 2025, how about you?”
Police reported the unusual obstacle on the road to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. From there, workers were able to coax the sea lion off the roadway and back into a nearby river.
Cosmopolis is a small town in Grays Harbor County, located along the Chehalis River near Aberdeen, according to spokesperson Bridget Mire, who spoke with The Seattle Times.
Why was a sea lion just chilling on the road?
The sea lion, according to experts, was probably just taking advantage of Grays Harbor being under a coastal flood advisory. The Times reported that the area was experiencing high tides and a stormy downpour, which threatened to flood roads, parks, and parking lots during the sea lion’s adventure.
The Marine Mammal Center also reports that sea lions will sometimes leave the water to rest after foraging, regulate their body temperature, avoid predators, molt or shed their fur, or during periods between migrations.
The Cosmopolis Police Department joked that, rather than arrest the sea lion or issue it a citation, they decided to give it a uniform and deputize it.
