1. Name the Sea Otter Pup
2. Rescue Journey of the Otter Pup
3. Visit the Aquarium
It’s time for the internet to once again decide the name of a baby animal.
The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California, is calling on the public for help in naming its newest sea otter pup. The animal’s care team is in charge of selecting the winning name, which could reflect the pup’s unique journey to the aquarium.
For a chance to contribute to naming the otter pup, patrons must join the aquarium’s virtual adoption program and donate $100 or more by September 30. Participants will then have the opportunity to submit name suggestions for the pup. The individual who proposes the winning name will be invited to the aquarium for an otter feeding and training session, potentially alongside the pup himself.
The otter pup had a somewhat unconventional path to the aquarium; he was found alone on the shores of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, on April 12. Experts determined that he was around three weeks old when he became stranded without his mother.
Following his rescue, the pup was taken to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where staff attempted to pair him with a surrogate mother. The aquarium aimed to prepare him for a return to the wild, but the pairing wasn’t successful. Consequently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided that the pup could not be released back into his natural habitat.
The otter is now residing at the Aquarium of the Pacific, in a behind-the-scenes pool with Chloe, the aquarium’s resident adult sea otter. Fortunately, everything seems to be going well between them.
“Chloe and the pup are socializing well together and have formed a close bond,” stated Brett Long, the aquarium’s curator of mammals and birds.
Although visitors may not get to see the unnamed pup, the aquarium hosts many other animals available for adoption, including sea turtles, penguins, and sharks. Reservations are required to visit the aquarium, with general admission starting at $36.95 for adults.
For further details on how to plan a visit, check out the aquarium’s website.
Cailey Rizzo is a contributing writer for iBestTravel, currently based in Brooklyn.
