SEE IT: Mom and baby otter reunited in heartwarming moment (VIDEO)



LOS ANGELES (KTLA) -- A 2-day-old sea otter was successfully returned to her mother’s arms this week in a rare reunion off the coast of Morro Bay in Central California, KTLA reported, citing workers at the Marine Mammal Center.

The baby pup had drifted away from her mother due to strong ocean tides, the nonprofit rescue organization stated in a Facebook post.

The infant was scooped out of the water and checked out to make sure she was healthy. Once it was determined that she was uninjured and not under stress, rescuers tried to reunite her with her mother, the post stated.

Video posted on group’s Facebook showed the crying pup being tossed into the water near the mother’s location.

Within seconds, the mother appears.

“Her mother rises from the sea, wraps the pup in what appears to be a hug, and pulls her underwater,” the post stated.

According to the Marine Mammal Center, successful reunions such as this are rare.

"Heather Harris (a veterinarian with The Marine Mammal Center), our team of SLO volunteers, and Mike Harris (a sea otter biologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife) successfully reunited a 2 day old sea otter pup with her mother inside Morro Bay. There are very few successful reunites so this is something to celebrate," the Facebook post said. "Well done team!"