The Monterey Bay Aquarium in California announced some adorable and exciting news over the weekend: the birth of a brand new wild sea otter pup!
On Sunday morning, staff found the mother otter grooming her newborn in their Great Tide Pool after she had been frequently visiting there on her own.
At first, they hoped the otter was alright because it's not normal for a healthy otter to visit there so often.
The mystery was solved when they found out she was preparing to give birth.
Monterey Bay Aquarium says they are keeping tabs on the new pup and will be following its growth as long as they stay nearby.
Wild otters were hunted nearly to extinction with just a few dozen left in California in the early 1800s, according to a blog post from the aquarium. Now, there are a few thousand thanks to conservation efforts.
You can watch Monterey Bay Aquarium's sea otter webcam here.
Welcome to the world, tiny otter pup! At the risk of a cuteness overload, here are some more pics of the wild baby sea...
Posted by Monterey Bay Aquarium on Sunday, December 20, 2015
