A sea lion was spotted this week along a rural roadside in central California. The 300-pound animal apparently swam from the ocean into the inland canals and found its way on to a rural road in Los Banos, California, about 65 miles from the sea.

The adult male sea lion, which was found about a half-mile from the nearest canal, rested on the back of a highway patrol cruiser while officers waited for a marine rescue team to pick up the animal. The sea lion appeared to be in good condition and was expected to be held for several days for observation before being released into the ocean.

"We just think he went all the way through the San Joaquin River, into some canals, and probably got out and started wandering around," said Cynthia Schramm, a spokeswoman for the Sausalito-based Marine Mammal Center, "Maybe he was going after fish, and there are far fewer sea lions to compete with in the delta."

Sea lions have also been found in the Sacramento and Stockton areas, which are more than 50 miles inland. "Sometimes they follow the prey until they are so far away and don't know how to get back," Schramm said