Monterey Surprise: Wild Otter Birth

IF ONE IS HEADED FOR MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM, one can't help but wonder what wonders will be seen in the Cannery Row institution's Great Tide Pool. The pool, which can be observed by aquarium visitors from upper decks, is often visited by Pacific Ocean denizens who are just passing through for the hour or afternoon, which means that what can be seen there truly changes depending on the day. The day of Saturday, March 5 turned out to be quite the auspicious one -- and awww-inducing one -- for aquarium guests, thanks to a wild otter stopping by to give birth to her pup.

THIS ISN'T A COMMON OCCURRENCE, so throngs of excited (and occasionally clapping) onlookers gathered at the railings, the better to catch sight of something that regularly happens out in the waves or on isolated rocks, but rarely in full view of a busy aquatic-minded destination. A Periscope broadcast, which runs just over 44 minutes, comes complete with engaging commentary by an aquarium employee as well as observations from those who were watching the baby otter's arrival live from points around the globe. Monterey Bay Aquarium posted a shortened version of the rainy-day delivery on Facebook on Sunday, and points out that the mom "starts grooming her pup right away to help it stay warm and buoyant -- a well-groomed sea otter pup is so buoyant it's practically unsinkable!" Heartwarming stuff, for sure.

WANT TO SEE... the amazing moment for yourself? It's there in all of its tremendous and moving and beautifully visual glory, with the birth sac appearing first and then the pup. And, yep, there's some mom/pup cuddling near the end, a squeeable sight that the internet can't ever get enough of (and with fine reason). One last update from the aquarium: Mom and pup are still in the Great Tide Pool area as of Sunday, March 6. Fortunate visitors will get to enjoy a rare sight, that of a wild otter and newborn hanging out not far from admiring humans.

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