This is the adorable moment a loving otter embraced her one-day-old pup as they floated downstream together at a Californian aquarium.

The heartwarming footage shows the caring sea otter holding her fluffy young newborn on her belly as the pair float along in the 'Great Tide Pool' at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

The mother otter has sought refuge in the pool to shield her against other animals and the stormy weather since the birth of her young pup in late December.

The heartwarming footage shows the caring mother sea otter holding her fluffy young newborn on her belly as the pair float along in the 'Great Tide Pool' at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California just a day after the birth

The mother otter wraps her paws around the delicate pup and, at one point, lifts her above her head as she snuggles into the back of her neck. The pair are seeking refuge in the 'Tide Pool' at Monterey Bay Aquarium

This adorable footage, taken just one day after the fuzzy brown pup was born, shows the mother grooming her baby and fluffing the pup's thick pelt to keep the newborn warm and able to float.

She also wraps her paws around the delicate pup and, at one point, lifts her above her head as she snuggles into the back of her neck.

Hank Armstrong, a spokesman for the aquarium in Monterey, California, said the birth of the youngster was 'pretty cool'.

He said the mother has left the protected pool area once or twice, always with the young pup.

'Usually, if she has to dive for clams or abalone or whatever, she'll leave the pup floating on the surface,' he said.

Sea otters were once hunted to near extinction, the aquarium said. The otter population has bounced back to steady levels in the Monterey Bay area, with roughly 3,000 animals.

Adorable footage, taken just one day after the fuzzy brown pup was born at the Californian aquarium, shows the mother grooming her baby and fluffing the pup's thick pelt to keep the newborn warm and able to float