Scared Sea Lion Pup Thinks His Mom Is Gone Forever-and Their Reunion Is Pure Relief

Uh oh, where's Mom?! One sea lion pup was so scared when he looked around and didn't see his mama anywhere. Where did she go? Everyone was so concerned in a clip that showed the baby looking a little freaked. So the relief was too real when the two were reunited. Even people on the internet were so happy to see these two find each other again.

Don't worry, little one. She didn't go far! The sea lion pup was so worried when he looked out at the coast and didn't see his mom anywhere.

@naturestanaccount

It's normal for a mom to leave her newborn pup alone for a bit while she goes out to feed herself, but when mom gets back to shore, the reunions are always so heartwarming to watch #sealion#california#baby#sealions

My Love Mine All Mine - Mitski

This is so heartbreaking. You know that baby was terrified to be alone. The sea lion pup was too tiny. He's just am infant! So no wonder he was scared when he realized he was without his mom.

Related: Sea Lion Has Happy Hops During Her First Snow Storm Just Like a Little Kid

For her part, Mom also looked a little nervous. She'd gone out to get the two of them some dinner and was freaked when she came out of the ocean and didn't see her child waiting for her to get back.

Then, they spotted each other. Mom and baby were so excited. You're here! You came back! You can almost hear the baby sea lion say.

The two sprinted towards each and then went in for a nuzzle. Thank goodness! Together again.

"It's normal for a mom to leave her newborn pup alone for a bit while she goes out to feed herself, but when mom gets back to shore, the reunions are always so heartwarming to watch," the video's caption reads.

The comments section was pretty much a mess after seeing the clip.

"You got me crying right now, the little excited steps when he realized it's his mommy," wrote one person.

"Crazy how they can recognize each other right off the bat like that," someone else chimed in.

"Her picking baby up from day care," another commenter teased.

"Oh my god the little hobble over," gushed someone else.

How Many Babies Do Sea Lions Have?

Sea Lions are such interesting creatures. They typically have one pup per year and carry their babies for 9 to 11 months. Multiple births are very rare, though it has happened.

All of this is to say, sea lions are good mothers! Just look at these two.

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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 9:30 AM.