The Aquarium of the Pacific has welcomed a new sea otter pup to its raft (the term for a group of sea otters in the water) after it was found stranded without its mother in Carmel-by-the-Sea on April 12.

Experts estimate the pup was three weeks old when he was found and taken to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Staff attempted to pair him with a surrogate mother in the hopes of eventually returning him to the wild, but the pairing was ultimately unsuccessful.

The pup, now four months old, was transferred to the Long Beach aquarium and into a behind-the-scenes pool with long-time resident Chloe.

“Chloe and the pup are socializing well together and have formed a close bond,” Brett Long, the aquarium’s curator of marine mammals and birds, said.

The pup can be seen in the aquarium’s Sea Otter Habitat.

The aquarium’s new resident, however, remains unnamed and the aquarium is asking the public’s help in crafting a moniker for him through its Adopt an Animal program. People who virtually adopt the pup by Sept. 30 at the $100 level or above can suggest a name.

Staff will then choose a name and the person who suggested it will be invited to a feeding and training session with one of the thousands of animals living at the facility.

The arrival of the young pup comes only three weeks after the unexpected death of one of the aquarium’s other otters, Betty. She was 10.

Four other rescued young sea otters arrived at the aquarium in December and various groupings will be in the habitat in the coming months, according to the aquarium.

Photos: Aquarium’s newest resident is an adorable baby sea otter rescued near Pismo Beach

Brandon Richardson is a reporter and photojournalist for the Long Beach Post and Long Beach Business Journal.