Even teeny tiny otters need to learn how to swim on their own.
This adorable wild sea otter mom and her pup spent an afternoon lounging and swimming in the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Great Tide Pool in January of last year, but the video recently resurfaced on Reddit. The duo swam into the outdoor exhibit, which opens into the Monterey Bay, and the little pup stretched his paws in the water for a bit with his mom close at hand.
The aquarium established a sea otter conservation program in 1984 with the aim of "understanding threats to the population and promoting its recovery." Otters were hunted to the brink of extinction in the 1920s and current numbers only put the population at an estimated 3,000 animals, according to the group's website. The program also rescues and treats injured otters as well as raising and releasing stranded pups through a surrogate program.
This little guy seems to be learning pretty quickly how to otter. Take a look at the video above, and follow along with the Monterey Bay Aquarium on YouTube here.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story said there were currently 16,000 to 20,000 otters living in California. Those are historical numbers and current numbers actually put the population in the state around 3,000 animals.
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