Rescued Sea Otter Pup Greets Public for First Time at Aquarium of the Pacific

With a small splash and frenzied excitement of her new aquarium mates, a rescued sea otter pup made her public debut Thursday at Long Beach's Aquarium of the Pacific.

Chloe, as she was named, was rescued in Pismo Beach in December 2012 when she was just one month old and since then, was deemed non-releasable to the wild, aquarium officials said.

After she was found stranded on the beach, the pup spent seven months at Monterey Bay Aquaium's Sea Otter Research and Conservation facility before being moved to the Aquarium of the Pacific in June 2013.

Since her arrival at the aquarium, staff said they have worked to get her adjusted to her new environment and five of her new sea otter family members.

"She has been spending some time with all the other otters individually and as a group," said Aquarium of the Pacific Senior Mammalogist Jeff Gacad.

In addition to getting acclimated, staff have also helped her put on some weight by feeding her a diet of "restaurant-quality" clams, shrimp and squid. The pup currently weighs 34 pounds after arriving at the aquarium at 28 pounds.

"She has been putting on some weight since she got here," Gacad said. "She likes pretty much everything we give her."

Now that she is accustomed to her new environment, Chloe can be seen by the public during regular aquarium hours. The pup joins five other sea otters in the aquariums sea otter habitat.

For hours and ticket information, visit the Aquarium of the Pacific's website.