While taking a walk along Old Garden Beach in Rockport, Massachusetts, Flora (@flgoodman) spotted an incredibly sweet sight: a tiny baby seal slowly making her way out of the water and onto the sand for a much-needed rest.
The little seal, believed to be only about a month old, had reportedly been orphaned and was already trying to survive on her own.
Once she reached the beach, she stretched out in the sunshine, got comfortable, and drifted off for what looked like the most peaceful nap imaginable.
The video is calming enough on its own, but once viewers learned what the tiny seal had been through, the moment became even more emotional.
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“She looks so relaxed!” one viewer wrote.
Another imagined what the seal might have been thinking: “Things may be scary, but at least for now I have the sun.”
@SunsetYork added, “Awe, she looked so relieved when she made it to shore. I hope she grows big and strong.”
Others worried that the exhausted pup might be struggling.
“She’s probably so tired surviving without her mommy…” one commenter wrote.
Thankfully, help arrived the following day.
The baby seal was rescued by SSC Marine Mammal Rescue, and rescuers quickly discovered that she needed medical attention.
According to the rescue, the approximately month-old seal weighed less than 15 pounds, was severely underweight and was showing symptoms of a respiratory infection.
She was given fluids containing electrolytes and glucose, treated for several small wounds and allowed to get plenty of much-needed rest.
Then, two weeks later, came an encouraging update.
The little seal had been transferred to Mystic Aquarium, where she was reportedly stable, eating solid fish and beginning to gain weight.
Seeing her peacefully sleeping in the sunshine was already adorable. Knowing that rescuers stepped in just in time — and that she was getting stronger — makes the moment even sweeter.