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"It's Staring Right at Me..." This Viral Photo of a Wild Seal in Hokkaido is "Too Cute!!!"
When you gaze at a seal, the seal also gazes at you.
August 2025, Hokkaido
Source: Post by @nas_oak
This impactful shot shows a seal resting on a reef, giving a major side-eye! The post on X (formerly Twitter) has been viewed over 7.5 million times and garnered more than 110,000 likes. Users have left many comments, such as "Too cute lol," "It's totally staring lol," and "I love how poetic it is... you can really feel the quiet summer of Hokkaido."
A Wild Seal Encountered on a Summer Trip to Northern Hokkaido
A wild seal relaxing leisurely on a reef
The poster, Kao🦭 (@nas_oak), lives in the northern Kanto region. A huge seal fan (known as an "azarashi fan" or "azarar" in Japanese), they have visited Hokkaido many times. In addition to visiting seals in aquariums across Japan, they also take on the challenge of photographing wild seals using telephoto lenses and other equipment.
Its arched back is also cute!
The seal in the post was one they encountered on the coast while traveling from Monbetsu to Wakkanai in the summer of 2025. It's a wild seal resting on a reef, arching its back like a shrimp.
Kao🦭 recalls the moment of the shoot: "I've encountered wild seals in northern Hokkaido several times from autumn to spring, but I was surprised to find them here in the summer too. As I was taking pictures, one of them noticed me, and this photo captures it glancing over at me."
The Seals of Hokkaido, as Seen Through the Eyes of a Seal Enthusiast
Sui-chan at Noshappu Aquarium
What sparked Kao🦭's love for seals was their first encounter with "Sui-chan," a baby seal in a white coat, at the Noshappu Aquarium in Wakkanai. For the past two and a half years, they have been traveling to aquariums and seal habitats around the country to photograph these cute animals.
We asked this dedicated "azarar" about their love for seals and their thoughts on Hokkaido, a place they have visited many times.
I've only been a seal fan for about two and a half years, so I'm still a rookie. Hokkaido is home to wild seals, and it also has the Okhotsk Tokkari Center, the only seal protection facility in Japan. I think of this place as a 'holy land for seals,' where you can feel closer to them and learn more about them.
Sol-kun at the Okhotsk Tokkari Center
I love seals because they are cute and intelligent, but that same intelligence can sometimes be a nuisance for the fishing industry. Furthermore, due to the effects of global warming, the sea ice essential for their breeding is decreasing, and the seals may be facing changes in their habitat. It makes me anxious to think that the seals, which are now thought to be abundant around Hokkaido, might one day disappear.
A wild seal photographed in the Northern Hokkaido area
If I hadn't fallen in love with seals, I don't think I would have ever thought so deeply about the world they live in or the problems they face. I want to continue using their 'cuteness' as a gateway to pay attention to their current situation and environmental changes, and never forget the importance of learning and thinking so that the future for seals can be a little brighter.
Kao🦭's passionate and profound love for seals, as well as their straightforward perspective on the environment and various issues surrounding them, was very impressive. It made me want to think a little about a future for Hokkaido where humans can coexist with wild animals like seals. Perhaps this cute seal photo posted on social media will inspire even more people to become seal fans.
If you're interested, why not visit the aquariums and zoos across Hokkaido, and go see the wild seals living along the coast?
Interview cooperation and photos provided by: Kao🦭
■X: @nas_oak
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