Shoebert Still A Beverly Sensation As Police Seal Patch Sells Out

BEVERLY, MA — There's no selling short the interest in Shoebert that remains in Beverly.

One month after the celebrity seal, which made Beverly's Shoe Pond his home for a week, waddled over to the Beverly Police Station and "turned himself in" before being taken to the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, an official BPD-approved police patch commemorating Shoebert's stay in the city sold out in about an hour on Thursday.

The patch was being sold for $12. BPD said a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Mystic Aquarium.

"Shoebert is the seal that brought a community together," manufacturer Ghost Patch said. "If you don't know Shoebert, look him up and fall in love."

Those who missed out on the Shoebert patches may have another chance at the souvenir.

"We are contacting the manufacturer about a possible second run of the patch — stay tuned," Beverly police responded to dozens of disappointed Shoebert fans who also requested a run of stickers, T-shirts and sweatshirts.

(Also on Patch: Sealed With A Kiss: Shoebert's Endearing Week In Beverly's Shoe Pond)

Those who cannot wait for the restock can head — or click — over to the new Sully's Brand retail store on Rantoul Street, which is selling a "Shoebert 2022" T-shirt, while Delphine's Kitchen on Cabot Street baked up a batch of limited edition Shoebert cookies with all proceeds going to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Prides Crossing Confections created some chocolates celebrating the bond between the wayward seal and Beverly police.

This all comes as some residents continue to also keep a keen out for Shoebert's return "home."

One week after the 4-year-old gray seal was released off the coast of Rhode Island earlier this month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed that Shoebert was back somewhere on the North Shore.

"We don't really know how seals navigate, but we do know that they are very good at finding their way while traveling at sea," NOAA said while chronicling Shoebert's travels.

If Shoebert does return to Shoe Pond, he will have some help navigating his way back to the police station if he ever gets stuck in Cummings Park again thanks to a new seal crossing sign at the business park.

"Although we can all agree it's safer for Shoebert to remain out at sea, should he decide to return to Shoe Pond, there'll be plenty of excited fans to welcome him back," Cummings Center General Manager Steve Drohosky said.

(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.)