What to Know
- The young male was found "without its mother" in Carmel-by-the-Sea in April 2022
- Chloe, an adult sea otter, took the pup under her proverbial wing when he arrived at the Aquarium of the Pacific; both otters remained off-view as they bonded
- The little guy may now be seen at the Sea Otter Habitat; naming suggestions may be made through the Long Beach aquarium's Adopt an Animal program
Otters, as every otter aficionado knows, are not only utterly — otterly? — adorable, but they're smart, too, and can quickly pick up new skills, the sort of think-quick lessons a youngster needs to survive in the wider ocean.
This is among the many reasons an aquarium pairs an abandoned pup with an adult otter, a surrogate that will smartly serve as a guide to the formerly lost little one.
A young male found without his mother received just this early and empathetic treatment.
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His first stop, after being discovered in Carmel-by-the-Sea in April 2022 was Monterey Bay Aquarium.
But the three-week-old pup did not pair well with his initial surrogate, and a new plan was hatched after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service "deemed the pup non-releasable."
The Aquarium of the Pacific would be the wee otter's next stop, and happy news resulted after he arrived: Chloe, the adult otter placed with the pup in a behind-the-scenes area, proved to be the perfect roommate, or splashy "poolmate" if you prefer.
"Chloe and the pup are socializing well together and have formed a close bond," says Brett Long, Aquarium of the Pacific curator of marine mammals and birds.
Now the four-month-otter has moved onto public view, as part of the furrily frolicsome Sea Otter Habitat, where admiring humans may be charmed by his roly-poly aquatic antics daily.
The Pacific-adjacent institution shared the good news on Wednesday, Aug. 3.
How to spy and sigh over this cutie while visiting? Look for "slightly lighter-colored fur on his face," advises the aquarium team.
The pup doesn't yet have a name, but you can suggest one through the Adopt an Animal program. Adopt the pup by Sept. 30 — virtually of course — and your name will join others. The final decision will be made by the animal care team.
The fee to make the virtual adoption, and throw your potential name into the mix, is $100.
The Aquarium of the Pacific is known for welcoming stranded otter pups and pairing them with surrogates. The newest pup is the fifth youngster, since the end of 2021, to join the raft of otters at the Long Beach destination.
