Last week in Washington state, Cosmopolis Police Chief Heath Layman began receiving some very unusual reports. Drivers were calling in about a giant animal sprawled across a quiet, forest-lined road — miles from the ocean.
According to multiple callers, the obstruction wasn’t debris or a fallen tree. It was a sea lion.
“At the first report, I laughed and didn’t fully believe it,” Layman told The Dodo. “Then a second person stopped me and said the exact same thing. That’s when I decided I needed to see it for myself.”
Layman was skeptical. In all his years on the job, he’d never responded to anything remotely like this. But when he arrived at the scene, the reports turned out to be absolutely true.
This is what he saw:
“I expected a small seal,” Layman said. “But instead, there was a very large sea lion firmly planted in the middle of the eastbound lane — and completely uninterested in moving.”
The animal wasn’t a seal at all, but a hefty California sea lion, likely having made its way inland by swimming up a nearby river connected to the ocean. And once it chose its spot on the road, it seemed perfectly content to stay there.
Layman positioned his patrol car to shield the sea lion from traffic while waiting for backup. The animal, meanwhile, showed no concern whatsoever about the growing attention.
“It really didn’t seem bothered,” Layman said. “If anything, it looked like it had claimed the road as its own.”
To safely resolve the situation, Layman contacted the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife along with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. With their help, the unlikely roadblock was eventually cleared.
“The sea lion finally moved off the roadway and went back toward the river,” Layman said.
No one was hurt, traffic resumed, and the sea lion returned to its watery home — but the encounter left a lasting impression.
“I’ve been with this department for over 28 years,” Layman said. “This was a first. Definitely a unique and memorable day.”
