When Joey met Kunik...

On October 13, 2020, Joey was introduced to Kunik, a 4-year-old female sea otter, one of the residents at the Vancouver Aquarium.
Video: Meighan Makarchuk
If you need more of this in your life, make sure to check out the Joey Cam:
• Rescued Baby Sea Otter...
And learn more & follow his story here: mmrpatients.or...
Learn more about Joey's care & listen to our AMA with vet tech Sion:
anchor.fm/mari...
...or hang out with us on Discord!
/ discord

[@sunnysiderice]

Kunik: Ok you’re a baby, so let me hold you... Joey: No! MEEP! Kunik: Ok fine then, just leave me alone... Joey: NO! HUG!

[@opheliawinfrey9501]

SunnySideRice accurate 😂I love how they follow each other

[@bakedandsalty9234]

Best comment ever!

[@tracylynn6312]

A story as old as time, lol

[@Angelsandchiuahuasamongus]

Hahaha!

[@Salomeii]

Sooooo acurate! lol

[@littleg5664]

I didn't realize how small he still was honestly. Like, he's gotten bigger, but he's still small.

[@freckledone1073]

So smol

[@jdrfqueen]

@The Destroyer and the one above with the stupidly annoying social media slang: smol

[@SagebrushRambles]

@@freckledone1073 S M A L L

[@lightningandodinify]

@@jdrfqueen smol is cuter... You miss the point.

[@rachel-in-the-208]

Same!! I was thinking the same

[@alison__16]

The way she grabbed him and hugged him was like that one crazy aunt you see once a year at Christmas who grabs and hugs you like you're still a little kid🤣....... Also those slappy otter flippers on the wet floor 😍❤️❤️

[@JustMe-ob3nw]

Just like that lolol I do it to my nieces too lol

[@arenazona1017]

Yes! It’s wonderful!

[@JustMe-ob3nw]

@Necramonium lol

[@heidibower2538]

I treat my nieces and nephews that way. I love being auntie.

[@HypatiaAmazing]

LOVE hearing the sounds of those flippers moving on the ground!

[@Laurgal5]

Kunik is being so patient with little rambunctious Joey!!! How great that he now has a new otter friend!! ❤️

[@kattitudeORIGINAL]

Kunik did have a couple seconds there of being like "Get away!"

[@marymathews8421]

So cute. He is so happy he hardly knows what to do!

[@elizas869]

Aww Joey loves her. This is the first otter he has touched or been touched by since his mom. No wonder he felt love and happiness immediately.

[@wendyinthegarden523]

The squeaking the growling the flapping flippers! So cute

[@chrise.321]

And the splashing water! The sound makes such a difference!!!

[@kristinann987]

I’ve never heard one of the otters make that growling noise. Must be otter talk for “Back up kid”

[@mairafavela4954]

At first t seemed that Kunik wanted to tow Joey but Joey refused out of fear. Then, Joey felt safer and wanted Kunik to tow him around, but she was not interested anymore.

[@tranquilrabies]

And then Joey turned into a level 5 clinger. Lol

[@AuDHDarling]

It could be fear or confusion. It could also be because grooming has a social function for otters, not just a hygienic one. Moms groom pups, but pups don't groom moms. Joey had basically no otter socialization before Kunik, and otters learn much of their behavior in infancy rather than from instinct (like humans!). He was used to humans who allowed him to set his own eating and sleeping schedule, were gentle with him, and generally tried to pamper him like the precious baby boi he is. He was the king of his kelpdom. So introduce him to another otter and he thinks he's going to be top dog, at the top of the pecking order. Then Kunik here tries to roughly tow him around and groom him, like a mama otter would do with her pup, and he says, "No way! I'm in charge here!" Then he tries to grab and groom her, and she's like, "The hell is wrong with this baby, get off me"

[@kaiju3410]

Joey is really curious about Kunik just look at him trying to hug her

[@aurelie2215]

Il a tellement grandi !

[@bari2883]

He wants to be taken onto her belly like instinct has told him to do. He so wants a real sea mummy.💋

[@kristinann987]

Joey is certainly very friendly. And when Kunik put her paws up on the trainers like “Helppppp meeeeee” 🤣

[@SuperBC1975]

"When Joey met Kunik.." They are both so cute. I love Kunik's excitement when she runs up to Joey. I'll have what she's having.

[@susandhifaoui]

I love the little flip flopping, pitter patter of his little flipper/feet. I guess it is fair to say that he loves his new friend.

[@REPULSlVECONVULSIVE]

Aww! "Ottstanding " and so beautiful! Thank you everyone...for letting us see..and hear...this HUGE milestone! So wonderful that Joey has a buddy! *teary eyed lol

[@arenazona1017]

Well said! It’s wotterfull ain’t it! (I may be trying too hard there.)

[@dixienormiss8192]

@@arenazona1017 wotter you talking about? It's pawfectly normal!!!

[@MultiMorgan1]

I'm so glad I wasn't the only teary eyed one.

[@Meeesa]

I was totally teary eyed. I also had a huge smile on my face!! And the flipper flap on the kelp. Ahh my heart!! ♥️

[@maryannbrown4499]

Oh my gosh, Joey seemed like he was desperate for affection and did not want to let go of Kunik! It almost broke my heart! I hope as time goes on they can be more tactile with each other.

[@kp4911]

It was intense. Probably because I felt like my heart was about to burst for the little guy.

[@mysteryachiever]

Yeah, I felt that way too. But Joey seem to quickly settle into just swimming and hanging out with her. Bless his little heart.

[@AuDHDarling]

In true toddler fashion, Joey is always desperate for affection and attention no matter how much he gets 😅

[@spectrumspectre]

When the baby's so cute you body-slam him into the wall 😂

[@AuDHDarling]

I've watched a lot of videos of mother sea otters with their babies in the wild and they are not gentle by any means. Joey has been living the good life.

[@Reina-tc8zx]

😄

[@morgan145able]

ROFL my thoughts exactly XD

[@Truffle85]

He pushed Kunik out of the pool! LOL. And he follows her around, it's so cute!

[@joeybaby.]

This warmed my heart , I'm so happy for Joey. He's not a baby anymore 😔

[@sandysani6045]

He is a baby though, he is not even three months old! He is a toddler at most! (No hate!)

[@terribleideabutwhocares]

yeah he is more of a small child

[@letsgetreal1]

Oh praise the Lord Joey has someone in his tribe to play with and keep him company! 🙏😇 The Staff have been absolutely wonderful, but they can't be otters, and now she had him. Even though it doesn't seem that way, right now, right this moment all is right with the world. Thank you all so much for sharing this! So thankful to see it. 😁 💕

[@lisamorice4701]

I can't get over Joey wanting to keep holding onto Kunik once they got over their first introduction. And she was so patient with him. A beautiful new friendship for our gorgeous boy.

[@bunnybear8941]

Oh my goodness I didnt realize he was still so small! What a sweetie

[@tamheartsthis2254]

Thank you SO much for this behind the scenes, with sound too!! We were all a bit worried for the newbie, but he’s a champ of course! And Kunik took it all in stride. Beautiful❤️

[@JustMe-ob3nw]

This is a milestone for our Baby Furball - I am so happy for you Joey ❤️ he loves her too lol

[@apassionatenerd.3564]

Oh my goodness now Joey looks so small compared to his buddy

[@janedoe8470]

That was my first thought too 🦦

[@sunnysiderice]

And we thought Joey was getting big... looks like he still has much growing to do!

[@Buba417]

Exactly my thoughts

[@tarrasage4272]

Our Joey is still a baby, only 3 months old.🥰

[@drmher]

Oh my heart! I'm so happy Joey has gotten to spend some time with another otter. Kunik seems to be pretty good with him overall.

[@dganit8807]

It's great to see Joey so excited about interacting with another sea otter!

[@meli7408]

Oooow he looks so happy to have a new friend!

[@brandonhoefer6151]

Those thumpty tump noises as they walk XD

[@1974lionsfan]

😍😍 so awesome for him to be with another Otter, it looks like he enjoyed it as well 😂

[@Buba417]

I’m so happy that now he has a friend.

[@then33k4]

thank you for caring so well for Joey. truly. thank you

[@ndrhskndr3973]

Cottonball Joey no more! Joey's now meeting otter friends which is another huge step forward for him. So proud 😊

[@Tokyo_Rose.]

Aww that is absolutely wonderful he has got Kunik now! He didn't know what to do, he was so excited! 😀 So SWEET! ❤ Thank you for sharing!

[@SteveMikre44]

I was surprised to see the size difference between Joey and Kunik. Even though Joey is getting bigger every day he still just a baby. Also, Joey has great people taking care of him...❤

[@Dumballa]

It's a whole different experience with sound. I luv you buddy 😙🦦

[@sigma4131]

Joey got so big!!! Proud of him

[@alcyone-rising]

I love otters! Maybe I’m personifying but that was just the most adorable little meet and greet. ❤️❤️❤️

[@bexabunny674]

He’s come so far!!! I’m so glad it was such a successful meeting!

[@ourfloridagarden4191]

He was so excited. Are you my mom? Are you a friend? I just want to be hugged. So precious.

[@chrisb9345]

Precious Joey. wants to be close to his kind so much. Poor baby. Soon sweetheart, soon.

[@Woug]

That gentle slaps of wet flippers somehow soothes my soul

[@rockysmumakagma]

Awe, Joey was so excited!

[@justanotherday5531]

Thank You 🙏🏽 for this! Kunik and Joey are quite a pairing. He is learning to be an Otter.🦦 The sweet boy is growing up, feeling happy and sad at the same time & already missing Joey and his towel time. 😁

[@pcgaga]

Aw they’re so cute playing together 🦦🦦😘😘

[@JP-xr3mu]

When you need a break from real-world B.S....you come here. Joey has a spot in his heart for you...

[@chelleyroberts]

“BABY! A BABY! COME HERE AND LET ME HUG YOU! OH YOU’RE SO CUTE!”

[@tamo9520]

The sound is amazing! To hear their back flippers slap the pavement as they walk (waddle ? - lol), to hear the greeting meeps!, it just makes everything feel so much more real! To see the excitement in Joey! He has so many feelings & thoughts, like: are you one of me? Are you my Mom? What do you smell like? Can I touch you? etc., etc., etc., But you can still see that he looks for reassurance at times, even if it's just to take a glance to see if his caregivers are still there! This is amazing! You didn't leave Kunik in the cage & let Joey smell her first? Or she, him. Was he able to get the feeling of a wee bit of contentment or 'comfortableness' (? probably not the right choice of a word here, but I hope it's enough to understand my over-all meaning) by being able to walk up to Kunik in the cage first? And still have the availability to hide behind a caregiver? Or was it just open the cage & let her go? lol

[@tamo9520]

It's awesome to hear the splashing of their flippers in the water!

[@treering8228]

I think Joey loved having someone in the water with him. Thank you for this!

[@kristinakowalski6573]

Impressive achievement for the team ... happy days to all

[@janestevens2030]

I was expecting him to be pretty shy around her, but he was so excited.

[@unclesporkums]

SO adorable! ^^ I'm SO glad that they not only met, but that Joey has adapted to her so easily!

[@unclesporkums]

Also, now I know exactly what his "meeps" sound like! LOL

[@rosalindhood-morris1924]

Meeting Aunt Kunik was adorable

[@thomasjforgey1359]

So nice to see Joey with a friend ❤️❤️👍

[@eshelbee5429]

agree that the slappy otter flippers cracked me up. What a big day for Joey.

[@sadie4479]

Awh those two together is so precious 😭

[@euphoricthrill]

0:09-0:13 Those meeps when Kunik is smuggling Joey with kisses. Andddd my heart just stopped working.

[@CherubiJubell]

Patient Name: Heyvho Dates: Unk - Oct. 2020 Cause of Death: JOEY (Joyful Otter Eagerly Yipping) As of yet there is no known cure for Joey, nor will there ever be. My only recommendation is to limit your exposure to content containing adorable otters to 23 hours a day instead of 24.

[@gretchenfrench2146]

Thanks so much for posting THIS.. It went much better than I thought originally Joey is fearless and curious warms my heart

[@KristinShoots]

i soooo needed to see that today. i could watch this all day! thank you canada!

[@tracylynn6312]

Awwww, he gets to be with his "people" now. This is absolutely heartwarming 💖 🦦

[@maarianisula463]

So precious! Thank you for uploading🙂

[@dropkicknazis5301]

Joey's little squeaky noises are the best sound on earth.

[@KBind54]

I've been waiting all day for this 🥺

[@loud_and_immodest]

My heart just exploded!! This brought me to tears, REAL TEARS!! It's so wonderful to see Joey make friends with another otter, and Kunik was so kind and patient with him! Thank you so much, MMRC and VanAqua, for the work you do to save and care for precious babies like Joey and Kunik! ❤❤❤❤❤

[@joaneastwood407]

Oh that was so wonderful to watch,I think I'll watch it again lol 💖

[@royal_kira7184]

Thank you for this meep filled video! It’s otterly adorable! 🥰🦦🦦💕

[@pleesher]

Joey always seem so Big since i first saw him. but now i think : wow he is still a little baby

[@curiouscat9877]

So much fun watching Joey learn to interact with another otter! 🦦

[@misselise1237]

This is amazing, I'm so happy for Joey. 😍💖 Thank you for posting this.

[@rosyorose1061]

Congratulations to all the wonderful staff who have cared for Joey up to now😊 My heart was bursting to see how happy he is with his new friend....Watching Joey grow has been a bright bright spot in a dark world....Love and light to you all🧡💛💚💙💜🌈🌞....and of course Joey and Kunik!🦦🦦💗

[@vanessacrabtree2759]

Omg, this is the best, make me cry happy tears. With all the bad Cray going on and then this, such a blessing to me and everyone who is a fan of joey. It's moments like these that give me hope for the future. Humans can learn a lot about humanity by watching nature. Thank you for all you do at this rescue center. I know the says are long, hard, never enough money or time. Somehow though you guys find a way and the wins are that much sweeter. Blessings to all.

[@Kim-lc3fv]

You guys did such a great job raising Joey, that now, he has no fear of Kunik, and rather, is adopting her as HIS mum! 👍😉❤

[@harvestandholly]

The most precious flaps that every existed

[@The-ii5mj]

He's so adorable!! Trying to climb on her tummy! She's definately got patience!! Good job guys! Our Joey is growing up!💞💕💖

[@effess8698]

What Joey says : there are more like me... I am no longer alone... this world is so strange and full of wonders and now I can face it knowing that I will be able to share the experiences with another being What we hear : meep meep meep meep meep

[@mimosa27]

"The only thing we found that makes the emptiness more bearable is... each other." - Carl Sagan

[@nunyabiz-]

Thanks team for all the care - so precious, hard to stop watching ! 🧡🌞

[@MiMi-ce3ss]

So sweet. Thank you for all.u do with these precious babies

[@byzantineladybug9471]

I wonder if Joey thinks Kunik is mom as Joey seems to be trying to position himself with Kunik in the baby otter position. 💟🦦

[@KH-nt7ej]

Yeah that is exactly what I was thinking. Sad that he lost his Mom but it definitely looks like he sees her as a substitute Mommy. Too cute.

[@opheliawinfrey9501]

Same! I got that impression more so around 1:30 when Joey holds onto Kunik out of the water 😭🥺

[@byzantineladybug9471]

@@KH-nt7ej my heart goes out to Joey! He seems to want to hold on tight to Kunik so he doesn’t lose “momma” again! My heart just burst open watching this little baby otter being introduced to an older female otter and trying to wiggle into the baby otter position 💟🦦

[@xxwhispersxx2856]

I think you're right on the money. Joey's only a few months old so he's still got the "where's mommy?" thing going.

[@DawnOKane]

Love them together ❤️🦦. This is the first time I’ve seen Kunik. How long have they been together now?

[@christinestarr5915]

Sounds! I just love all he sounds! Meeping, flipper slapping, water splashing! Its the best!

[@fhutsa28]

This is so precious. Joey cant get enough, he’s literally attached to Kunik oh my God 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@AshleeJade90]

So happy Joey is being introduced to another otter, it makes me so happy to see him growing and developing. Thank you for sharing ❤️❤️❤️🥺

[@evamarek5205]

Aww, Joey is making a new friend! Beautiful!

[@SuzanaRoth]

Joey is ecstatic to have a playmate. To the point where he is not letting go! We're BFF's now, and where you go I will follow!❤

[@yoonrimin8656]

Yay! New friend! Thank you, Vanqua and MMRC for taking care of them! 💕🙏🦦

[@kathleenyoung8916]

That is out of control adorable!

[@arenazona1017]

Um. Was she trying to hug her more than her hug Joey? I mean that first intro...like “I am bigger and u will listen”. Then she was like “another little brother. Ugh.” It’s wonderful! 😆

[@mamapeach11]

This is the cutest thing I have EVER seen! 💕💖

[@chrisgustafson9342]

Joey looks like a happy camper. Happy he found a tribe member he can trust!

[@discosecret6363]

So happy to see Joey getting bigger, bolder and stronger! ❤️

[@heatherfoley4945]

I could cry tears of joy...Thank you xxx

[@dariasdouble212]

Oh my gosh he's just so happy! And those flipper slapping sounds on the concrete! I love him so much!

[@secretforreddit]

OHHHH THE SEA PUPPIES ARE FRIENDS 😍😫 MY HEART CAN'T HANDLE THIS CUTENESS!

[@LostHorizon52]

Wow .. so many emotions watching this .. Thank you so much for uploading this historic first meeting for all of us.. Much love for both Joey and Kunik ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@rosacanina5353]

They are so graceful in the water. Like mermaids😊

[@kimw.7366]

My heart could not be bigger 💕🙏💕

[@morgan145able]

That muffled meep Joey makes when being hugged! So cute!

[@dahlianeko]

Awwwww! He seemed to really enjoy being around her! I thought he was getting big until I saw him next to a full grown otter!

[@Prederick]

How are these things this cute? Like, legally? How?

[@nunyabiz-]

Shhh...it can't be legal, so please...shhh!

[@bari2883]

Ikr. They are so sweet and smart. She reminded me of a trained seal that hops out the water straight to the fish mongers😅 The way that otters hold hands in water so as not to float away is adorable.

[@gloryshadow8710]

Just keep quiet, man! We dont talk about legality of otters...

[@laurenbi]

They are soooo natural in the water it’s so pretty

[@missdoom1]

To me, it seems she was not hugging him, I think she puts him in his place. I think it's a tough ride for Joey, and not at all lovey dovey, like "claimed" by many here :) (That is my perception, and of course I might be wrong) I think he is exited, but at the same time a little "scared" and happy all mixed up. He is just a little kid still, so thats why I got a little softhearted when they fought a little bit. But I guess the staff makes sure that they are both okay

[@fabygoo]

I WAS WAITING FOR THIS