Wayward sea lion stops traffic on Highway 37 in Sonoma County

You ever hear the one about the 900-pound elephant seal that tried to cross the road? Well, it happened again - only this time, it was a sea lion.

The sea lion caused headaches for Sonoma County motorists and CHP officers alike Monday morning on Highway 37 just east of Highway 121.

And it was in the exact same place where Tolay the elephant seal made her famed stand in December.

The Marin County CHP began receiving calls just before 10 a.m. about a sea lion blocking the eastbound lane of traffic, Officer Andrew Barclay said.

Concerned motorists had stopped to try to help the sea lion back into the water.

The animal was having none of it at first, Barclay said. Officers did manage to corral it back into the water before it changed its mind and decided to pop back up on shore.

“The problem that we’ve seen is it’s very difficult to get that sea lion back into open water,” he said.

By noon, the animal was safely caged and on its way to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito. It will be reintegrated into the wild at a different location.

The Marin CHP is the same agency that handled the December standoff, as well as a wayward seal that found its way into the slow lane of the Richmond-San Rafael bridge on Friday afternoon.

“We are now seasoned experts,” Barclay said.

As the officer predicted earlier in the day, the sea lion will remain unnamed.

So fare thee well, Highway 37 sea lion, we barely knew ye.

You can reach Staff Writer Christi Warren at 521-5205 or christi.warren@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @SeaWarren.