An absurdly lost California sea lion startled commuters on Vancouver Island Sunday before eventually slipping away into the waters of a nearby lake.

The roughly 350-pound adult male spent several hours lolling on the tarmac of Hwy. 4, the Pacific Rim link between Ucluelet and Tofino and the rest of Vancouver Island. 

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 sure my reaction was the same as everyone乌鸦传媒檚. Confused but also not surprised, it is the coast after all,乌鸦传媒� Tofino resident Spencer, who asked that his last name not be published, told Black Press Media.  

Spencer said he was close to the end of Kennedy Lake nearing the West Coast junction on his way home when he noticed oncoming vehicles flashing their headlights at him. He turned the corner carefully, not expecting a sea lion to be the cause of the caution. 

乌鸦传媒淚n the summer months it乌鸦传媒檚 common to see pinnipeds in the Kennedy Lake area. Sometimes basking on the rocks nearby,乌鸦传媒� he said, before adding that seeing a marine mammal on the highway is 乌鸦传媒渧ery unusual."

乌鸦传媒淲est coast wonders always bring curiosity out of the community. I乌鸦传媒檓 hoping for a safe return to his home land for this young sea dog.乌鸦传媒�

Paul Cottrell, a marine mammal rescue coordinator with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, said the sea lion was first reported around 6 a.m. Sunday and spent several hours on the highway, but waddled back into Kennedy Lake before a rescue team could arrive to transport it to the ocean. 

乌鸦传媒淲hile they were en route, the sea lion decided he乌鸦传媒檇 had enough of the highway and made a beeline for the lake,乌鸦传媒� Cottrell said. 乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e hoping that he finds his way out Kennedy River there and gets back to the ocean.乌鸦传媒� 

He said DFO believes the sea lion found its way to the Kennedy Lake boat launch and propelled itself roughly half-a-kilometre to the highway from there. 

乌鸦传媒淗e was moving around trying to find his way to the ocean, but unfortunately he was going the wrong way乌鸦传媒� Cottrell said. 乌鸦传媒淭his particular situation so far from the ocean is really bizarre. It乌鸦传媒檚 a unique and odd situation.乌鸦传媒�

He added the sea lion looked to be underfed and that while harbour seals spend time in freshwater lakes, there is likely not enough fish for a sea lion to thrive long-term. 

乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e hoping this poor guy does find his way to the ocean. Kennedy Lake is big and there are fish in it so, for the short term, it乌鸦传媒檚 probably OK; but not for the long-term for sure,乌鸦传媒� he said.  乌鸦传媒淗e doesn乌鸦传媒檛 look great, so hopefully he does find his way out of the lake.乌鸦传媒� 

He said the first people to report the animal said they initially mistook it for a bear, a much more common sight on local roadways. 

乌鸦传媒淭hey stopped and it was dark because it乌鸦传媒檚 early in the morning and then they realized, 乌鸦传媒楬oly Smokes, it乌鸦传媒檚 a sea lion,乌鸦传媒� so they called us immediately which was awesome and we were able to work with the RCMP to get someone out there,乌鸦传媒� he said. 

He added a Parks Warden joined local police to alert drivers of the sea lion乌鸦传媒檚 presence. 

乌鸦传媒淭hey were able to make sure folks that were driving by were aware and that it was safe for the animal and the vehicles,乌鸦传媒� he said. 

DFO is monitoring the situation and is ready to respond and take the sea lion to the ocean if it shows up again. 

乌鸦传媒淲e will look to corral him into a live transport crate and move him to the ocean that way, but ideally he finds his own way back to the ocean,乌鸦传媒� he said.  乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檝e got a plan with the (Vancouver) Aquarium if he is seen again to get a team up there really quick and dart him and get him back to the ocean with a live transport cage, but we are hoping that he finds his way out himself. That would be the best.乌鸦传媒�

Social media posts on Thursday night suggested the sea lion had returned to the boat launch area and the Westerly will update this story as soon as new information comes in. 

Anyone who spots the sea lion, or any marine mammal in distress is urged to report their sighting to DFO乌鸦传媒檚 24-hour hotline at 1-800-465-4336.

Cottrell said that while marine mammals commuting on roadways is rare, DFO has responded to several across the province. 

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 not all that common but it乌鸦传媒檚 unfortunately happened a few times in the last decade,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 usually when they乌鸦传媒檙e going up a creek or a river likely following fish and then they get disoriented when they乌鸦传媒檙e way up there and lose their way.乌鸦传媒� 

He noted a sea lion found its way into the front yard of a Sunshine Coast residence where it was darted and transported roughly five kilometres to the ocean and also referenced a harbour seal that wound up on Hwy. 99 in South Surrey where it was struck and killed by a vehicle.