Aniak’s pup, a new sea otter pup born at the Seattle Aquarium, is enjoying its experience with her mother since her birthday on Jan. 17.

According to the Seattle Times, the pup now weighs 6.3 pounds. Otters typically weigh between three and four pounds at birth.

Last week, the staff at the Aquarium was delighted to determine the pup as a female. While the sex of a newborn animal might seem to be one of the first things the staff learns, giving the pup time to bond with its mother and the thickness of otter fur makes it hard to determine immediately.

“If the pup were a male, once it grew up it would need to be transferred so as not to cause conflicts with the father otter, Adaa. Now we know she can stay right here with her mother, Aniak, and her grandmother, Lootas,” said Traci Belting, curator of mammals and birds.

At this stage, the pup is unnamed. The Aquarium will announce plans to invite the public to vote on possible names in the weeks ahead.

Sea otters nurse exclusively for about one month and begin to shed their fluffy pup fur at about six weeks.  By 10 weeks, the coat will look more like that of an adult.

Their fluffy fur keeps the pup buoyant, so pups do not attempt diving until after six weeks. They begin to become proficient at opening shellfish—either by biting or pounding shells together on their chests—at about three months old.

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About Seattle Aquarium Seattle Aquarium is one of Washington state’s leading environmental education and stewardship institutions, and the region’s gathering place for discussion and sharing information about marine conservation. It maintains a number of research initiatives in cooperation with federal, state, zoological and university partners. The Aquarium is located on Pier 59, at 1483 Alaskan Way.