I dont like the enclosures for Toba very much. - This baby seal was named 'Smile' to bring joy during the pandemic, but became the internet's most grumpy seal instead - and represents something we all feel deep down Meet Niko, born February 22nd, 2020 at Japan's Toba Aquarium - the first Baikal seal ever born there. His keepers named him 'Niko,' meaning smile in Japanese, hoping to spread happiness during those early COVID lockdown days. But there's a reason his expressive face became a global meme, and why millions of people felt an instant connection to this particular seal pup. From day one, Niko was ironically anything but smiley. While his parents Kucha and Unariko were typical seals, Niko had this incredibly expressive, almost human-like face with big, watery eyes that constantly looked like he was having deep thoughts about life's disappointments. His own aquarium officially describes him as a 'naughty and spoiled child' - which honestly explains everything. When videos of baby Niko hit the internet in 2020, people immediately connected with his perpetually concerned expression. His squinting, watery eyes became the 'Crying Seal' meme because he always looked like he was on the verge of tears One video got over 6 million views just showing his first year of life, and Japanese users described his face as 'grandfatherly' - like he'd seen too much despite being barely a year old. What makes Niko special isn't just that he's adorable - he’s someone we can all relate with. Forced to live up to our name but realizing we are meant to live our own lives. As the first Baikal seal born at Toba Aquarium and one of the world's only exclusively freshwater seal species, he's already unique. But his fame comes from never pretending to be anything other than exactly what he is: a slightly grumpy, spoiled, wonderfully expressive little seal who accidentally became the perfect mascot for how we all feel #seals #niko #marinelife #animals #seal - @bysealknight