Orange traffic cones were in place to protect the seal from passing motorists. (Supplied)

A sleeping seal has held up motorists making their way along the Mornington Peninsula, causing a major road to be closed in both directions in the popular coastal area after it stopped to rest on the roadway.

Police helped direct traffic on Point Nepean Road at Dromana, south-east of Melbourne, after reports were made about the sleeping animal, and orange traffic cones were set up to protect the seal.

Gen Abbott and her daughter were driving along the Nepean Highway to a coffee shop in Dromana when they faced a roadblock.

The Safety Beach local told the ABC she was not surprised to see the “local seal” who is a regular visitor often spotted along the coast as far as Rosebud.

“I sat and watched with my daughter for over an hour to make sure he was safe,” she said.

“We have been following him for a while around the peninsula.”

Ms Abbott said it took a couple of hours for wildlife rescuers to arrive and safely escort the seal back into the water.

The incident was logged on the VicTraffic website, with motorists earlier advised to avoid the area where possible and allow extra travel time.

“Victoria Police is directing traffic on Point Nepean Road, Dromana near Anthony’s Nose, due to a live seal on the roadway,” the alert read.

Disturbances by roving seals are nothing new to communities that border Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay.

An elephant seal dubbed Henry is believed to have made appearances in recent years at both Blairgowrie and Point Lonsdale — where it smashed the windows of a petrol station — and a fur seal nicknamed Grumpy disrupted an annual regatta at Blairgowrie in December, blocking access to some boats.