Photos and video were released Tuesday showing an adorable newborn sea otter and its mother at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Aquarium staff began capturing images of the pair shortly after the baby was born Sunday morning.
Workers initially grew worried about the mother when she began spending an unusual amount of time in the pool, a move they say is rare for healthy sea otters. But concerns were subsided when they realized the otter had given birth.
“Aquarium staff witnessed a BRAND NEW pup resting on her belly, being furiously groomed by a proud momma,” the aquarium’s website stated.
The baby otter was a welcome addition to the aquarium, which took the time to appreciate the great strides sea otters have made since facing extinction — some 50 were left in California in the 1800s, largely due to hunting, and now the state boasts a population of 3,000 in its central area alone.