Sealed With A Kiss: Shoebert's Endearing Week In Beverly's Shoe Pond

BEVERLY, MA — At a time when it's difficult to bring a whole city around much of anything, a 4-year-old gray seal splashing around in an office park pond managed to do just that in Beverly over the past week.

The seal — dubbed "Shoebert" for his choice of short-term rental space in Beverly's Shoe Pond — gained the rapt attention of ocean experts, local authorities, Cummings Office park employees and many North Shore residents over the course of eight days before he waddled his way over the Beverly Police Department for a little helping hand getting "home" back to the ocean late Thursday night.

"It is exciting that we have a seal living in the lower Shoe Pond," Beverly City Council Chair Julie Flowers said during last Monday's meeting. "A shout-out for Shoebert the seal who has brought Beverly together in an exciting way."

City Councilor Kathleen Feldman called Shoebert the "Li'l Sebastian of Beverly" — a reference to the miniature horse who was a uniting force in Pawnee, Indiana in the television series "Parks & Recreation" — while the Beverly Police Department temporarily changed its social media profile picture to a patch commemorating the seal of approval the seal had bestowed upon the city.

After a week National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration crews were at Shoe Pond late Thursday afternoon with nets in an apparent attempt to either secure the wily seal visitor or at least persuade it to return to the lower pond closer to a culvert he could use to return to the ocean.

But after circling around the gray seal for several hours NOAA officials decided to let Shoebert be for at least one more night.

"Shoebert knew something was up!" Beverly fire quipped on social media. "We think the nets were a bit of a giveaway."

Hours later, at about 2:30 a.m., surveillance video caught Shoebert waddling his way to the police station where wildlife experts and Beverly police safely secured the runaway seal "without incident."

"Early this morning staff and partners were alerted that the gray seal was on the lawn of the Beverly Police Department," NOAA Fisheries New England-Mid-Atlantic said on Friday. "Working together stranding experts from NOAA and (International Fund for Animal Welfare) safely kenneled the gray seal, with support from Beverly PD."

Shoebert was taken to the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut where it was said to be healthy over the weekend.

Meanwhile, the impact the big fella had on Beverly will not soon be forgotten.

Beverly Animal Control Officer Matt Lipinski, who spent the week providing seal updates while at the same time urging residents and onlookers to give the wild mammal the space he needed to remain safe and possibly head back to the ocean on his own, said the seal adventure was a "once-in-a-career type of thing."

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

Yet, sometimes it is the truly unexpected that provides a chance to take a moment away from the daily challenges and conflicts and share a smile with those around you.

Sometimes, it takes a seal like Shoebert to forge a connection among all those who find comfort in a quirky and heartwarming tale of a North Shore city and the curious case of a seal's late-summer visit.

"The men and women of the Beverly Police Department would like to thank the local community and fans of Shoebert globally for their love and overwhelming support," Beverly police posted on social media in response to myriad seal inquiries. "I know many people have asked questions about posting any future Shoebert updates.

"Rest easy Shoebert fans, there will be a future story for all to enjoy when our favorite seal is ready to share his next story."

(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.)