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Morro Bay Rescuers Reunite Stranded Sea Otter Pup With Mother

Recorded vocalizations helped identify the mother, a key step for a species with roughly 3,000 individuals.

Overview

  • The Marine Mammal Center’s Morro Bay team reunited a stranded pup after about two hours of searching near the Embarcadero.
  • Rescuers recorded the pup’s cries and played them on a Bluetooth speaker, then noted an adult persistently following the boat as the likely mother.
  • Staff placed the pup, nicknamed Caterpillar, into the water, where the adult retrieved it to complete the reunion.
  • The team observed the pair for about an hour afterward to ensure proper bonding.
  • The Center called it the first Morro Bay reunification since 2019, citing the threatened population near 3,000 and the option of Monterey Bay Aquarium surrogacy when a mother cannot be found.