Otters are cute, but a floating mama otter holding and grooming her newborn baby pup is even cuter.

This video was taken by the Monterey Baby Aquarium in Monterey, California when a wild otter mom and her pup were spotted in their Great Tide Pool. The open tide pool is lapped by waves from the Monterey Bay, and is often the destination for various kinds of guests like leopard sharks, schools of anchovies, and now, otters.

The mom had been spotted the previous night using the protected basin of the tide pool for shelter against the winter storms, which is something healthy sea otters rarely do. Little did the staff know the otter was just about to give birth to her adorable, fluffy baby, which she reappeared the next morning with resting on her belly.

They’re back out in the bay now, but the aquarium staff are eager for the day they’ll make a brief visit to the tide pool again. By the looks of it, thousands of otter-loving folk are, too.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.