The San Diego sea lion found off a highway earlier this year was again sighted in an unusual area, this time a storm drain in Logan Heights.
He was unofficially named Freeway following the incident on January 7, 2022, when the juvenile male sea lion was spotted at the intersection of California State Route 94 and Route 15 in the Fairmount Park neighborhood near downtown San Diego. Last month, Freeway was again spotted in an usual location, a storm drain in Logan Heights a half mile from San Diego Harbor, which would have been a straight shot to the highway area he was found in January if he continued on. Again, SeaWorld San Diego's rescue team picked him up and he remains in their care as they assess his behavior and attempt to figure out why he's such an inland explorer.
This is at least the sixth incident of this particular sea lion winding up in a strange area of San Diego. He was first found on Harbor Island Drive near the San Diego Airport last November, then the very next month, sighted on the boardwalk in Mission Beach, then found near a deli in Mission Bay, and again seen on the Navy base in the Point Loma neighborhood. The 10-13 year-old sea lion has identifying tags on his flippers, but they are not geo-location devices.
