Sea lion known for wandering San Diego’s freeways has been euthanized, SeaWorld says

Freeway, the land-loving sea lion with a penchant for wandering far from his ocean home, has been euthanized, SeaWorld San Diego said Friday.

The sea lion earned notoriety in January 2022 after making a brazen attempt to cross state Route 94 — a busy freeway a couple of miles from shore. The SeaWorld team that got him to safety said it wasn’t the first time the animal required rescue from odd places.

From the San Diego International Airport to a storm drain in Logan Heights, Freeway seemed to have an inexplicable need to venture inland.

No longer.

“Before he was rescued last year, he had contracted a progressive disease that our animal care experts diagnosed,” SeaWorld said Friday on Facebook. “Despite extensive treatment, the disease caused his health to deteriorate over time.”

Given his decline, the team made the decision to humanely euthanize him, SeaWorld said.

Freeway was first rescued in November 2021 when he was found walking on Harbor Island Drive. A rescue crew rehabbed him at SeaWorld for a week, fitted his left flipper with an orange tag and dropped him back into the sea.

His freeway stunt prompted rescue No. 2. Several months later, he was saved again, this time after someone spotted him wandering up a storm drain in Logan Heights, about half a mile from where the drain hits San Diego Harbor.

Freeway wandered inland in April through a storm drain and ended up in Logan Heights. SeaWorld rescue teams saved him. He has also been found on state Route 94 at state Route 15.

(SeaWorld San Diego)

Before the string of rescues, Freeway was spotted ashore at Point Loma, Encinitas and Cardiff. But those spots are near the water.

SeaWorld never sorted out why the sea lion kept wandering so far from the ocean.

When animals wander out of their habitat, it’s usually for food, SeaWorld officials said last year. But Freeway’s weight was good, at about 190 pounds, and his rescue crew didn’t think he struggled to eat in the ocean. His body condition was also satisfactory, with no bumps or bruises.

Freeway after his rescue from the storm drain on April 7. He was living with other sea lions while awaiting his release to the ocean.

(Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)

It was also unclear why Freeway didn’t stay with a group of sea lions, as is typical of the animals, officials said last year. At SeaWorld, he was living with three others and had been social with them.

On Facebook, SeaWorld thanked the community for supporting Freeway’s journey.

“His adventurous spirit won the hearts of all San Diegans and he will be remembered for that and so much more,” SeaWorld said.

Staff writer Teri Figueroa contributed to this report.