Lost Little Sea Lion Has The Happiest Reaction When He Sees The Ocean Again

We may never know why the sea lion tried to cross the road, but we do know it wasn't his best idea.

Twitter/Matt McDevitt

Twitter/Matt McDevitt

Matt McDevitt of southern California tweeted his encounter with a baby sea lion who needed some convincing to return to the sands where he belonged.

McDevitt, who was worried for the baby's safety, first stopped traffic to help the disoriented animal out of the road.

And McDevitt did the exact right thing: He didn't try to touch the baby sea lion, but just gently and patiently guided him out of the road, using beach towels as a makeshift herding device.

And it worked.

Twitter/Matt McDevitt

Twitter/Matt McDevitt

The sea lion begrudgingly agreed he probably didn't belong on the road, and waddled back to the beach, with McDevitt and his towel-wielding friend following patiently behind him.

Sometimes sea lion mothers leave their pups on shore while they're fishing - so keep that in mind if you see a sea lion you think is stranded. And call a local rescue center for help.

Learn more about what to do if you see a stranded marine animal here.