Road closed in Oak Bay, B.C., so elephant seal can cross

Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.

Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.

The department posted to social media around 10 a.m. saying the mammal – who has become a local celebrity and has stubbornly refused relocation – had been crossing Beach Drive.

“Efforts are underway to move him back down the beach to avoid an accident,” the post said, adding that Fisheries and Oceans Canada was sending personnel in to assist.

At one point, Emerson made his way onto the lawn of an apartment building, drawing a crowd of onlookers. The DFO’s whale protection unit was on scene at that time.

Around 1 p.m., the police department said Emerson was back in the water and the road had reopened.

Emerson has been spotted several times around the B.C. capital since spring 2023, including in the communities of Oak Bay and Sooke.