Otters might quite possibly be some of the most adorable animals on the planet. They’re playful, they’re smart, and those faces are just to die for! And when they’re babies? Forget about it — it’s cuteness overload!
Here are 60 baby otters that are so cute it’s impossible not to smile when you look at them.
And although otters are super duper adorable, they are threatened by pollution, poaching, and overfishing – so we all need to do our part in trying to protect them! Thankfully, there are lots of great aquariums and preservation groups that are able to help orphaned baby otters. Continue reading to see some very sweet photos of baby otters being their charming selves!
1) Mama hugs
Mama otters love their babies just as much as human mamas. This photo shows the bond that mom and baby have as she snuggles the little guy close to her chest as she floats on her back.
Did you know that otter’s baby fur is so dense that it traps air and allows them to float on the water? Pretty cool, right? Their mom, however, needs to teach them how to swim and groom.
These sleeping baby otter pups in their nest is just about the sweetest thing we’ve seen all week. They’re so small and they look like they’re covered in velvet.
This otter’s fluffy fur is giving him an adorably sad expression on his face. Did you know sea otters have fluffier pup fur than river otters? River otters tend to have a sleeker coat.
Just like a baby human, this baby otter is exploring and discovering their world via their mouth. Here, they’re discovering what their own little paw tastes like!
“The charismatic otter, a member of the weasel family, is found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Most are small, with short ears and noses, elongated bodies, long tails, and soft, dense fur,” says National Geographic.
Sadly, many of the otters that end up in the care of humans were orphaned due to humans as well. It takes a team of professionals to help raise an otter without the guidance of their mom.
“River otters are especially playful, gamboling on land and splashing into rivers and streams. They learn to swim when they are about two months old, when their mother pushes them into the water,” says Nat Geo.
There’s something about this little baby otter in this dog bed that just makes our hearts want to burst. Their face is one of the sweetest things we’ve ever seen.
This floofy little baby looks like he’s posing for the camera with this precious face. It looks like he’s receiving some very good care from the rescuers.
It appears that this little baby was frightened by something! Was it a loud noise? Is it another animal in the room? We don’t know but the photo is priceless.
There really isn’t anything about this photo that isn’t off-the-charts adorable, right? Look at those little claws growing in on their paws! It’s too much.
“Otters can have up to one million hairs per square inch. There are two layers of fur—an undercoat and then longer hairs that we can see. The layers manage to trap air next to the otter’s skin, which keeps the otters dry and warm and also helps with buoyancy. Otter pups have so much air trapped in there, they actually can’t dive under water, even if they want to,” says Mental Floss.
This sweet otter is nursing on a bottle, which, sadly means that they’re mother is not around or able to feed them. It is difficult for humans to teach otters how to hunt and fish, but thankfully, otter moms are usually willing to adopt!
Fun otter fact: “Otters also have particularly stinky poop, which even has its own name: spraints. It’s thought to get its special odor, which some scientists describe as smelling like violets, from the seafood diet otters eat,” says National Geographic.
Since otters are curious little creatures, it’s no wonder this one peered right into the lens as the photo was snapped. How irrresistible is this fluffy, furry face?
“Most otter species come ashore to give birth in dens, which sometimes have been used by other animals such as beavers. Sea otters are the exception, giving birth in the water. Baby otters, called pups or kittens, stay with their mothers until they’re up to a year old, or until she has another litter,” says National Geopraphic.
Could you imagine having this sweet face looking up at you every day? It would be dreamy! But it’s really important to know that otters, although adorable, are not pets.
This otter’s hilariously cute face looks like he’s not the happiest camper. However, with those soft paws and fluffy belly, it sure makes us happy looking at the photo!
We couldn’t be happier that someone had the camera ready when this little otter pup decided to come say hello! Look at that black little nose! You just want to boop it!
Fun fact: “In Bangladesh, otters help fisherman maximize their haul. For centuries, fisherman have been training otters to act as herders and chase large schools of fish into the nets,” says Mental Floss.
Fun fact: “All otters are expert hunters that eat fish, crustaceans, and other critters. Sea otters have an ingenious method to open shellfish. A sea otter will float on its back, place a rock on its chest, then smash the mollusk down on it until it breaks open,” says Nat Geo.
