Police investigate alleged shooting of seal in coastal Newfoundland community

A Royal Newfoundland Constabulary police car is shown in St. John's in a June, 2020 photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sarah Smellie

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Police in Newfoundland are investigating possible weapons offences after a wayward seal was reportedly shot and killed in a coastal community near St. John’s.

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary says they received a report Monday evening that a seal had been shot at the marina in Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s, about 10 kilometres northwest of the provincial capital.

Const. James Cadigan says officers found the remains of a marine mammal when they arrived.

The federal Fisheries Department is also looking into the incident, and Cadigan says it would be up to their officials to determine if illegal hunting took place.

Some area residents posted pictures to social media last week of a seal lounging on the ice near the marina, which is close to several houses.

Seals often haul themselves up on beaches, boat launches or ice pans around Newfoundland and Labrador shores, to the delight of many residents.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 29, 2025