The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Shoebert returns to ocean after rehab at Mystic Aquarium
A gray seal that drew attention this month for taking up residence in a Massachusetts pond before later waddling up to the door of the local police department was released back into the wild Wednesday, according to officials.
The seal, nicknamed “Shoebert” by locals, was spotted this month in Bass River in Beverly, Mass., a city of about 43,000 that sits about 40 minutes north of Boston. The 4-year-old seal somehow traversed through a 250-yard-long cement tunnel under Route 62 that brought him to the freshwater Shoe Pond on Sept. 15, according to the Beverly Police Department and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
News spread fast of the unusual visitor.
“The seal was soon visited by many curious people and appeared to love the attention,” the police department said in a Facebook post.
The pinniped spent about a week hiding out in the pond. He appeared happy and healthy, surrounded by an abundant food supply. Through their observations,
NOAA officials determined Shoebert was able to leave the area when he was ready and, when he briefly swam toward the exit, he “hopped right back into the pond,” according to NOAA.
However, temperatures are expected to fall soon and seals, though they can live in freshwater for short periods, belong in the ocean, NOAA said. Officials also became concerned about Shoebert’s safety, worried he would leave the pond and wander into the road.
Under heavy rain, officials were unsuccessful trying to capture the 235-pound seal last Thursday, according to NOAA.
“He played with the rescuers,” the police department said, adding that the seal told rescuers in his own way that he wasn’t trapped — he liked it there.
Then, around 2:30 a.m. last Friday, local police said the seal waddled out of the pond and through an empty parking lot, showing up at the side door of the police station “for some help.”
“Within a short period of time, the entire midnight shift, Beverly Animal Control, Members of NOAA, International Fund for Animal Welfare and the Beverly Fire Department all came to the rescue of Shoebert,” Beverly police said in a statement. “We were able to get Shoebert into a special wildlife carrier without incident.”
Police said the seal appeared to be in good health “and was a little sassy in the early-morning hours.”
From there, Shoebert was taken to Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut for a health assessment. Veterinarians conducted a physical examination complete with X-rays and blood work and determined the 4- or 5-year-old gray seal was healthy.
Shoebert stayed at Mystic Aquarium for a few days while rescuers figured out the details of his release. In preparation, officials satellite-tagged the seal to see where he goes. The temporary tag may work for several weeks or months, and it will fall off by the time he molts or sheds his fur, NOAA said.
On Tuesday, Shoebert was released off the coast of Block Island in Rhode Island into a known gray seal habitat. Back in the ocean, the seal is free to swim wherever he wants.
“The goal was to give him access to open water so that he can choose where to go and be able to find the appropriate food resources,” NOAA said. “Gray seals can travel great distances, often traveling from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia in a matter of days. It will be fun to see where he decides to travel to next.”
It turns out, it wasn’t the first time the seal visited the aquarium.
In 2018, the 1-year-old seal pup was rescued in Cape Cod after he suffered severe injuries to his face and hind flippers. Rescued by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the seal was taken to Mystic Aquarium for rehabilitation, according to NOAA and Mystic Aquarium.
The aquarium named the pup “Jekyll” and nursed him back to health, treating him for a bone infection and removing one hind digit, according to NOAA. After about four months, the aquarium tagged Jekyll, now known as Shoebert, and released him off the coast of Rhode Island in August 2018.
Shoebert’s tracker will also help researchers learn more about seal ranges and habits. Sarah Callan, Mystic Aquarium’s Animal Rescue Program manager, said obtaining data about the seal’s health and movements since he was initially rehabilitated in 2018 is a “unique opportunity that is important in a world where ocean dynamics are changing at an alarming rate.”
“Shobert’s contributions expand far beyond the smiles he has brought everyone throughout his journey,” Callan said. “Shobert’s contributions to science and research will help us understand more about the gray seal species as a whole and the role they play in the ecosystem.”