Why Did the Sea Lion Cross the Road?

San Diego sea lion featured image

Have you heard the adage, “Why did the sea lion cross the road?” We can thank the Marco Polo California sea lion who took the world’s stage on January 7 ,” for doing just that! Are you ok if I refer to him as Marco Polo? What makes it even more interesting is that this isn’t the first time this particular sea lion has been caught exploring the streets of San Diego!

So, where has he been? How do you think he got on the freeway?

Hopefully, I will answer all of these questions for you and more!

More?

Yes! I have found several other examples of wandering sea lions in San Diego.

Let’s now look at where this sea lion has been seen in San Diego.

CA sea lion la jolla bluffs
This is not Him, just an example at La Jolla.

Hey, Is That a Sea Lion on the San Diego Freeway?

Cholla Creek Sea Lion google map

(The red marker is the mouth of Cholla Creek- see arrows for where he was seen on the freeway)

So on January 7, San Diego drivers on State Route 94 were in for a super surprise!

When?– January 7, 2022, at around 9:40 am; captured by 10:30 am

Where? The eastbound side of State Route (SR)-94, near Interstate (I) 15 and just west of Interstate (I) 805 (see map). Three miles from San Diego Bay and eight miles from the ocean

Josefine Jandinger was driving eastbound SR-94 just west of I-805 when she saw two people standing in the middle of the freeway, coaxing a 200-pound juvenile sea lion toward the median. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Josefine took the video down below.

Kudos to the couple who dared to exit their cars and help in any way possible. You are the true definition of heroes!

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Checking out the La Jolla Harbor Seals

2009 harbor seals la jolla san diego

One of my favorite places to bring family and friends from out of town is La Jolla! Our absolute favorite place to visit in La Jolla is at the Children’s Pool, Point Mencinger, and Casa Beach. We love to see if the La Jolla harbor seals are hauled out on the rocks or the beach.

Did you know that Point Mencinger and the Children’s Pool is a Pacific harbor seal rookery? (A rookery is where the seals mate and raise young.)

Yes, it is!

And just north at Point La Jolla, there is a California sea lion rookery! The coastline of La Jolla is magical.

On August 17, my girls and I went on a little pinniped adventure.

Let’s now take a look at what we saw, and as a bonus for you and as well as for me, I have listed several La Jolla harbor seal facts.

The Pacific Harbor Seals of La Jolla

Point Mencinger la jolla san diego
Point Mencinger is North of Boomer Beach, 2021

First, it blows me away that I never knew that the formal name of this area in La Jolla is Point Mencinger. 

Below is a photo during a King Tide, so the tide was super low.

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Checking out the California Sea Lions in La Jolla

CA sealions point la jolla featured image

There is something extraordinary about seeing wild animals in their natural habitats, especially marine mammals. Well, what if I told you that over at La Jolla, two designated pinniped rookeries near each other? Yes! A Pacific harbor seal rookery is located at Casa Beach/ Children’s Pool, and a California sea lion rookery is found at Point La Jolla and Boomer Beach. Have you ever seen California sea lions up close before?

Both rookeries are close and parallel to Ellen Browning Scripps Park. Today, I will only concentrate on what we saw at the newly closed public- California sea lion rookery.

sea lions people la jolla san diego
July 6, 2017

Where Are The California Sea Lions in La Jolla?

La Jolla Cove

people sea lion la jolla cove august

La Jolla cove sits adjacent to Point La Jolla, so it is not uncommon to see a couple of California sea lions hanging out on the rocks in the cove.

On this day, it was unusual for this sea lion to swim onto a crowded beach and pose on a rock, but maybe not.

You would think that some sea lions are becoming less afraid of humans, seeing that human smells and sounds constantly surround them.

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