The Awkward Moment Sealion, often simply called the Awkward Seal, features a wide-eyed harbor seal with a strained, uncomfortable expression. It first went viral on Reddit in 2014 after a user shared a photo of a seal from a Japanese aquarium. Unlike the Socially Awkward Penguin, which highlights personal social blunders, the Awkward Seal is typically used for situations where the discomfort is caused by an outside force or an unavoidable social mishap. It has become the internet's gold standard for expressing vicarious embarrassment and that specific silent anxiety felt during a 'yikes' moment.