It was a foggy night with low visibility when Mendocino County Sheriff Deputies came across an unexpected highway wanderer at 1:00am Sunday.

The lost sea lion pup had walked a quarter-mile from the ocean near Fort Bragg, California, so was happy to see a couple friendly faces.

Deputies contacted the Marine Mammal Center after discovering an orange tag attached to the 20lb pup's front flipper. The staff said they had previously rehabilitated the animal and he had become quite used to people. This was no shock to the deputies, since the little fella had been vying for their affection.

"He was extremely friendly with the deputies, rubbing against their legs for attention," the sheriff's department said in a statement.

The sea lion was lucky that his adventurous spirit didn't cause a car accident that night, and he happily climbed into the back of their patrol car.

The deputies buckled him into the seat belt as best they could–and took these photos–before releasing the pup back into the ocean.

Photo Credit: Mendocino Sheriff's Department Facebook Page / Story Tip From: Mike Donkers