This Dutch seal shelter has gone viral in Japan, here’s why 

Who wouldn't buy these cuties some fish? 🦭

On Thursday, a livestream from a seal shelter near Groningen suddenly went viral on X, attracting thousands of views and donations from one country in particular.  

Japanese X account @hokahoka_times posted a snippet of the Pieterburen Seal Centre’s 24-hour livestream, inviting followers to tune in.

And the Japanese certainly did. The post was viewed over 19 million times, earning the centre’s livestream ten times the number of views it normally attracts in a day. 

READ NEXT | Seagulls in the Netherlands: villains, yet protected by law

Kind-hearted cyberterrorism

The attention surge was so huge that, initially, the centre’s employees feared a cyber-attack, reports NOS

Turns out, the extraordinary traffic was simply due to a wave of Japanese viewers tuning in to watch the seals, leaving behind a trail of comments, questions, and donations. 

In what @hokahoka_times called “kind-hearted cyberterrorism from Japan”, viewers smashed the shelter’s donation button, buying the seals thousands of €5 portions of fish.

This resulted in the shelter making the same amount that it would usually earn within a month in just 24 hours.

The extra income came at a critical time. With no government subsidies and languishing summer visits, the centre was struggling to attract funds, says communications manager Marco Boshoven to RTL.

A lucky encounter with some lucky seals

But why did the centre go viral in Japan of all places?

Aside from being gorgeously rotund, the Pieterburen seals are actually very lucky — and not just because of all the fish they’ve been gifted.

Apparently, in Japan, upright-swimming seals are thought to resemble floating tea leaves, a symbol of good luck. 

This explains the seals’ unusual popularity with the Japanese — together with their cuteness, of course!

What is cuter, Pieterburen seals or everyone buying them dinner from across the world? Tell us in the comments below. 

Feature Image:Dreamstime
Beatrice Scali 🇮🇹
Beatrice Scali 🇮🇹
Five years after spreading her wings away from her beloved Genova, Bia has just landed at DutchReview as an editorial intern. She has lived in China, Slovenia, Taiwan, and — natuurlijk — the Netherlands, where she just completed her bachelor’s in International Studies. When she’s not reciting unsolicited facts about the countries she’s lived in, she is writing them down. Her biggest dreams include lobbying the Dutch government into forcing oliebollen stands to operate year-round, and becoming a journalist. In this order.

1 COMMENT

  1. I find the explanation provided here for why Japanese people donated to support completely unreasonable and unnatural, and it is insulting to the Japanese culture. The idea that Japanese people see them as symbols of fortune, like tea leaves, is simply not true. We donate because these animals are cute and in need of help, not because they represent some symbol of fortune. I strongly request that you amend this article and avoid making baseless and nonsensical connections.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Related posts

Latest posts

Dutch Quirk 113: Have multiple Christmas days (because one isn’t enough)

In the Netherlands, Christmas Day is an epic celebration that spans two whole days. Plus, over the period of November to December, you can...

What is the Dutch National Mortgage Guarantee (NHG)?

If you’re an international who is looking to settle down and get a mortgage in the Netherlands, you’ve probably come across the term Nationale...

That time a Dutch tourist accidentally became a celebrity in Georgia

If you’re dreaming of fame, you might not need to try too hard. Put down your guitar and cancel those acting lessons – sometimes...

It's happening

Upcoming events