# Seal of Approval On November 16, 2014, a Reddit comment on a photo of a very content-looking Weddell seal read 'that is a seal of approval,' accidentally naming an advice animal that ran on /r/AdviceAnimals through 2015 for jokes about small, private pleasures. ## Origin Dutch photographer Rick van Duivenboden uploaded the source image to Flickr on August 18, 2007, having shot a Weddell seal at the Ecomare nature center on the island of Texel in the Netherlands [1]. The photo sat online for more than seven years before it caught meme fire. On November 16, 2014, Redditor Mictlantecuhtli reposted the photograph to /r/pics with the title 'This is the most satisfied seal I've ever seen,' and the top-voted comment reading 'that is a seal of approval' supplied the format's name [4]. - **Platform:** Flickr (source photo) / Reddit (viral spread) - **Creator:** boredengineer89 (earliest known macro); Rick van Duivenboden (source photograph) - **Date:** 2014 ## Overview The Seal of Approval, also known as Satisfied Seal, is an advice animal built around a tight portrait of a Weddell seal with half-closed eyes and a lopsided grin that reads on a phone screen as pure contentment [4]. Captions land in two lines: a setup on top and the specific pleasure on the bottom, usually something petty, mildly gross, or too intimate to mention in polite company [3]. The seal's face does the heavy lifting, so a line about warming your feet over a heat vent or hitting a perfect bowel movement reads like the animal itself is co-signing the poster's guilty pleasure [2]. The source photo predates the macro by seven years and originally showed nothing more dramatic than a healthy pinniped at a Dutch nature center [1]. ## How to Use The template typically pairs a two-line caption with the unaltered Weddell seal photo. The top line sets up a mundane or slightly taboo scenario, and the bottom line delivers the specific satisfaction, often a small physical pleasure or a workplace win the poster admits to enjoying more than they should [5]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Seal of Approval? An advice animal image macro using a photo of a very content-looking Weddell seal, with two-line captions about small, satisfying moments [4]. ### Where did Seal of Approval come from? A November 16, 2014 /r/pics repost of Rick van Duivenboden's 2007 Flickr photograph, where a top comment supplied the name [1][4]. ### What does Seal of Approval mean? It signals a small, often private pleasure the poster is deeply satisfied by, with the seal's expression standing in for the poster's own approval [2]. ### How do you use Seal of Approval? Put a setup on the top line and the specific pleasure on the bottom line over the unaltered seal photo, usually about something petty or intimate [3]. ### Is Seal of Approval still popular? The macro peaked on /r/AdviceAnimals in 2014 and 2015 with posts pulling 4,000 to 7,800 upvotes; it's still recognized as a classic advice animal today [6]. ## References 1. [https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickpics/1230599764/in/gallery-23882161@N03-72157622641251326/]() 2. [https://www.reddit.com/r/AdviceAnimals/comments/2mha1y/every_morning_this_time_of_year/]() 3. [https://www.reddit.com/r/AdviceAnimals/comments/2oyvwc/this_rarely_happens_but_when_it_does/]() 4. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/seal-of-approval]() 5. [https://www.reddit.com/r/AdviceAnimals/comments/3gl1fm/my_roommate_is_the_best/]() 6. [https://www.reddit.com/r/AdviceAnimals/comments/3ic0zt/when_taking_my_job_as_a_fire_marshal_i_never_even/]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/seal-of-approval Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library