MONTEREY, Calif. - A wild baby sea otter was born this week in the Great Tide Pool of the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California and the mother and baby pair are stealing hearts across the globe.
The aquarium says the female sea otter had been using the protected basin of the tide pool to take a break from the winter storms. She was spotted in there late at night, which was a rarity for healthy sea otters, said the aquarium.
The next morning, the mom was in the tide pool with a brand new pup resting on her belly, which explains why she was in there.
Photos and video show the little baby otter resting on the mom's chest as the mom grooms the baby otter while they float together in the tide pool. The aquarium staff keeps checking in to see if they've ventured out into the bay or if they're taking a rest in the tide pool periodically.
You can catch updates on the aquarium's Facebook page.
Wild otter mom and pup update! The pair was spotted in our Great Tide Pool again this morning. They're back out in the...