Fast asleep: In this tender picture the pup looks utterly content as he floats along on his mother's bellyThere's nothing like a little snooze after you've had your lunchtime feed, but maybe this wasn't the perfect moment for junior to drop off.
His mother - a rare white otter - ended up having to balance her four-month-old babe on her belly after he nodded off during suckling in the water.
In the end, she carefully rolled the sleepy boy into the river where he continued to doze afloat on his back.
Clinging on: Just like a human baby, the whelp enjoyed suckling his mother's milk before eventually dropping offRetired marine biology teacher Brian Maxwell, 69, captured the Intimate moments in and estuary in Moss Landing, California.
He said: 'It was just amazing that the son was content to just fall asleep anywhere.
'They were really sweet and after a while the mother got hungry and rolled her son into the water so she could dive for clams.'
However, her efforts were interrupted when her youngster was taken away by the current and she had to keep breaking away from her fishing to tow her son back to safety.
Father-of-three Mr Maxwell, from Alaska, America, said: 'We were on a pleasure cruise when this really pretty mother popped up with her son.
When the pup eventually dozed off his mother got on with some fishing, returning every now and then to check that her baby hadn't floated away'She was grooming him and he was suckling and eventually he just nodded off. It was quite cold so he stayed on her stomach to keep warm.
'Her son remained asleep on his back while she went below the water's surface and came up with a clam that she would open and eat.'
'However, in between her food runs she would have to grab her son and tow him back to safety because the current was pretty strong and kept taking him away.
'The mother didn't mind us coming up quite close and she was there for about half an hour.'
Brian added: 'To spot a white otter is very rare so the incredible moment was made that bit more unique.
'In the end, the mum got about 12 clams and my friend and I were just relieved she was able to catch up with her baby before he strayed too far in the water.'
source: dailymail
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