Wild sea otter, pup make more appearances in Monterey

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©Monterey Bay Aquarium

As of Tuesday morning a sea otter and its newborn pup were still hanging around Monterey Bay Aquarium's Great Tide Pool.

The wild sea otter gave birth to the pup in the Great Tide Pool on Sunday morning.

According to the aquarium's blog, several days before the birth, a wild female sea otter had been using the protected basin of the Great Tide Pool to rest from the winter storms. 

It's rare for a healthy sea otter to visit the area so much, so aquarium employees started to wonder if the sea otter was OK. 

Around 8:30 a.m. Sunday, aquarium staff spotted the new pup resting on her belly - and the mystery was solved. 

The mother has spent the last few days "furiously grooming" the pup.

Although the pair has continued to make appearances in the Great Tide Pool, they could venture out of it at any time. 

Learn more about sea otters and the Monterey Bay Aquarium here.