Lost seal pup found alone in Gagetown Creek, an 80-km swim from Bay of Fundy

Riverside residents of Gagetown have been treated to a special guest in their backyards for the last few weeks.

A tiny seal pup has been seen lounging in the Gagetown Creek, alone, and perhaps separated from its mother.

"A couple neighbours close by have seen him on their docks laying around, and he was on our dock five, six days ago, just laying around," said Gordon Vessey, a veterinarian who lives nearby.

"Looks fairly healthy. There may be an issue with his respiratory system but I'm not quite sure. Seems to have a bit of a runny nose."

The smooth waters of the Gagetown Creek are fed by the constant chop of the St. John River.

It's here, under the colour-changing canopy of the incoming autumn, that the seal pup has decided to stay, an estimated 80-kilometre swim from Saint John Harbour and the Bay of Fundy.

Vessey estimated the harbour seal pup weighs about 20 pounds but shouldn't be going hungry since there are plenty of fish in the area.

For two weeks now, many people who live nearby have been able to watch from their kitchen windows as the seal pup pops its head out of the water.

But many said they are hoping the seal makes its way to open water before winter comes and the ice moves in.

"Hopefully, if he is still here, he'll survive the winter by finding an open spot," Vessey said. "The river hasn't frozen totally over very well in the last number of years either, so that will be helpful, hopefully, for him."

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Vessey, who is also the president of the Atlantic Wildlife Institute, said there's not much the group can do for the pup, because it's pretty quick to retreat to water when people get close.

Once the animal enters the river, it's out of the jurisdiction of the institute and becomes the responsibility of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

"My wife has called DFO and had some conversations with them, trying to do the paperwork, I guess we'll call it," Vessey said. "And so far, we've hits the snags of 'Nobody wants to get involved at this point in time.'"

But a federal response may not be necessary as the seal pup hasn't been spotted in a day or two, despite becoming a common sight in the creek.

"Maybe he was on vacation," Vessey said.

With files from Karin Reid