New Shoe Redux?: Harp Seal Pays Visit To Beverly Beach

BEVERLY, MA — This time it was a much shorter stay for a seal making a visit to a Beverly shoreline.

A bit more than two years after residents fell in love with "Shoebert" as he spent a week hanging out in Shoe Pond before shuffling his way over to the Beverly Police Station to book a trip to safer waters, a harp seal was seen resting on Independence Park Beach on Sunday morning.

Beverly Animal Control said the seal was by the jetty at the end of Wilson Avenue and advised residents to give it space after it was evaluated and found not to be injured or in distressed.

"It is merely resting on the sand as seals tend to do regularly," Animal Control said Sunday morning.

Residents were reminded that it is illegal to feed or harass marine animals and warned not to toss anything in the water or in the direction of the seal.

"Once again this animal appears healthy and not in need of any assistance," Animal Control said. "Please allow it space to go along its way when it wishes to do so."

Beverly Animal Control issued an update later in the morning informing residents: "The seal has returned to the water and has moved along on its merry way. Thank you to everyone for allowing the seal its space to rest."