Beverly's Pond Seal Still 'Happy Kicking Around And Doing Its Thing'

BEVERLY, MA — The celebrity stay of Shoebert the Seal in Beverly's Shoe Pond — now going into its second week — has made for one extraordinary stretch for Cummings Park employees, city residents and Animal Control Officer Matt Lipinski.

The seal was first spotted in the lower Shoe Pond last week and stayed there into the weekend. When it was not spotted on Monday, there was a thought that Shoebert — as he or she has been dubbed — may have made its way back "home" to the ocean through the culvert where it entered.

But not so fast.

Late in the day Monday, Shoebert was spied in the upper Shoe Pond where Lipinski said it must have shuffled over to overnight Sunday.

"There are more fish up there," Lipinski noted. "The animal is not in distress by any means. It is just happy kicking around and doing its thing."

Getting a glimpse of Shoebert has become a spectator sport for many in Beverly in recent days based on its unusual choice of vacation spots.

"I have never seen it happen," Lipinski told Patch on Wednesday. "Not here. It certainly is, in my opinion, a once-in-a-career type of thing.

"Just when you think you have seen it all, you see something else. This is not something you expect."

Lipinski said much of the watch and decision-making regarding Shoebert now rests with the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration.

"This one differs to NOAA and their mammal experts," he said. "They are the ones calling the shots. We are taking a back seat in how we support them."

On Wednesday, biologists took depth measurements of the pond and assessed the seal’s behavior. The Beverly Fire Department brought two rescue divers to scope out the bottom conditions of the pond to inform response teams, in the event that a rescue is necessary.

"Since its first sighting, we have worked closely with Beverly Animal Control and Cummings Center to post signs around the pond and explore options that are in the seal's best interest," NOAA Fisheries New England said on Sunday. "Our staff have regularly visited the pond to ensure the seal is acting normally. Fish are in the pond, so the seal has feeding opportunities.

"The seal has hauled out on the wall several times, so we do not believe that it's inhibited from leaving the area when it is ready.

While Lipinski is typically called out to trap or collect animals and bring them to shelters or find their way home as the case warrants, in Shoebert's case it is more to assist NOAA in reminding the public that while it is fun to catch a glimpse of the unusual late-summer visitor, to not disturb the seal or influence its journey.

He said all people and dogs should remain at least 150 feet away from the seal at all times.

"Keep your distance," Lipinski said. "Don't throw anything in the water. Don't try to feed them. It's still a wild animal that we want to keep wild."

NOAA Fisheries New England said on Sunday that at the time the best course of action is to not interfere since the seal was "healthy and behaving normally."

"We will continue working with the town of Beverly to monitor the seal," NOAA Fisheries New England said, "and if the condition of the seal changes, will assess options that are in the animal's best interest."

In the meantime, Lipinski said Beverly remains welcoming to its most popular guest.

"People tend to gather at lunchtime in the office park," he said. "Different times of day draw larger crowds.

"It's bringing smiles to everybody's faces. It's bringing joy. That's a good thing."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)