Welcome to a deep‑dive into the world of the 10 astonishing infamous mermaid sightings that have left locals and scholars scratching their heads for centuries.

Why the 10 Astonishing Infamous Mermaid Tales Still Capture Our Imagination

10 The Mermaid of Kiryat Yam

In 2009, mermaid fever swept across the Israeli coastal town of Kiryat Yam when a half‑woman, half‑fish figure began making twilight appearances, dazzling tourists and residents alike. The first witness says he spotted a sunbathing lady on the sand; when he and his friends drew nearer, the figure sprang up and vanished into the surf, revealing a shimmering tail where legs should have been.

The phenomenon was far from a one‑off event. Word spread like a tidal wave, and hundreds claimed to have caught a glimpse of the Kiryat Yam mermaid. The municipal council even dangled a one‑million‑dollar reward for concrete proof, yet to date only fleeting glances have been recorded and no one has walked away richer.

9 Columbus and Caribbean Mermaids

Christopher Columbus famously recorded an encounter with three mermaids while sailing near Hispaniola. According to his ship’s log, the sailors saw the beings frolicking in the water, and when the vessel approached, the trio rose gracefully from the sea.

Columbus, however, was less than impressed. He described the creatures as rather homely and “mannish,” leading modern scholars to suspect he actually saw a pod of manatees. The lingering question is whether an experienced navigator could truly mistake a sea cow for a mermaid, no matter how ungainly the animal appeared.

8 Zimbabwe Mermaids

In 2012, construction crews working on the Gokwe and Osbourne dams in Zimbabwe were reportedly driven away by an irate river mermaid known locally as the mamba muntu. The workers, steeped in regional folklore, interpreted the creature’s harassing behavior as a dire omen and abandoned the project.

Attempts to replace the local labor force with white workers backfired when those newcomers also fled, claiming the mermaid’s wrath was too intense to endure. The local council then turned to ritual rites and cleansing ceremonies in hopes of placating the aquatic spirit and resuming construction.

Whether the mamba muntu was a genuine supernatural presence or a collective hallucination born of cultural belief remains a subject of heated debate among Zimbabweans.

7 The Orang Ikan

During the thick of World War II in 1943, Japanese surveillance troops stationed on Indonesia’s Kei Islands reported sightings of a small, humanoid creature with spines along its neck and a carp‑like mouth. The “orang ikan,” or “human fish,” was said to frolic in lagoons and along the beach.

Sergeant Taro Horiba was even invited to view a specimen that had been caught in a fishing net. He described a diminutive being with reddish‑brown hair, a spiny neck, a lipless fish‑mouth bristling with needle‑sharp teeth, and an overall uncanny appearance. Despite his pleas for scientific investigation, the post‑war world dismissed his accounts as fanciful.

6 Active Pass Mermaid

In the summer of 1967, British Columbia’s Mayne Island became the stage for a bizarre mermaid sighting. Ferry passengers reported a topless, long‑haired blonde perched on the shore, her lower half unmistakably a porpoise tail. Some eyewitnesses claimed she was gnawing on a raw salmon right on the beach.

The following week, the creature was spotted again, prompting the local newspaper, The Colonist, to offer a $25,000 reward. Rumors even suggested the town would provide room and board should the mermaid be captured and integrated into the community. Skeptics labeled the episode a hoax, while believers argued it was a cleverly staged tourism stunt.

5 The Kaaiman

In 2008, the South African countryside was rattled by reports of a legendary mermaid dubbed the Kaaiman. Campers near a river heard thunderous splashing and banging, only to discover a pale‑skinned woman with flowing black hair, an opalescent glow, and terrifyingly red eyes.

Witnesses said the creature emitted a mournful, wailing cry reminiscent of a grieving woman before vanishing into the murky depths. Locals now whisper that the Kaaiman lures unsuspecting swimmers, binding them to the water with objects of their deepest desire.

4 Hebridean Mermaid

Scotland’s Hebrides have long been a hotbed of maritime folklore, and in 1830 the island of Benbecula allegedly witnessed a mermaid that met a grim fate. While gathering seaweed, a local woman claimed to see a tiny, pale‑skinned figure swimming nearby. She summoned a small crowd, but the mermaid swiftly evaded their grasp.

Some of the onlookers hurled stones, one striking the creature’s back. Days later, a lifeless mermaid body washed ashore, prompting the town’s sheriff to arrange a proper burial with a coffin and shroud. To this day, the exact burial site remains unknown, leaving the legend shrouded in mystery.

3 The New Zealand Mermaid

In 2014, a crew of South Island fishermen stumbled upon what they believed to be a mermaid’s remains, sparking a media frenzy across New Zealand. Initially thought to be a possible murder victim, forensic analysis revealed a skeletal structure that was part human, part aquatic.

The University of Auckland was consulted to examine the odd find, which displayed unmistakable fish‑like features. The discovery added another curious entry to New Zealand’s growing catalog of enigmatic wildlife.

2 Bering Sea Mermaids

In 1608, explorer Henry Hudson chronicled a startling encounter while navigating the icy waters off Norway. He wrote that a group of mermaids appeared, each as tall as his crew members, with alabaster skin and long dark hair. Their tails resembled dolphin flukes speckled like mackerel.

While many historians suggest sailors often confused manatees for mermaids, Hudson’s account is puzzling because the Bering Sea hosts no manatees. Naturalist Philip Henry Gosse argued that seasoned mariners would recognize local fauna, implying Hudson either fabricated the tale or witnessed something truly extraordinary.

1 The Deerness Mermaid

Scotland’s Newark Bay has been the backdrop for numerous mermaid legends, and in 1890 residents reported a towering, seven‑foot humanoid with pale skin and jet‑black hair. Locals said the creature clambered onto rocks using its arms before slipping back into the surf, keeping a wary distance from the shoreline.

The Deerness mermaid lingered for only a few summers before vanishing into the murky depths, leaving behind a legacy of debate: was it a misunderstood whale, a fabricated tale, or an actual sea‑dwelling enigma?

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Among modern readers, mermaids usually live in the realm of fairy‑tale charm—a symbol of nature’s uncanny power, a warning that appearances can deceive, or even a pop‑culture icon with glittering hair and a voice that could melt steel. Yet, in earlier centuries, perfectly rational‑looking people not only believed in these half‑fish beings but also swore they actually laid eyes on one. Below are ten totally reliable (mostly) witnesses who claim to have seen a mermaid, ranging from famed explorers to humble river fishers.

10 Totally Reliable Accounts

10 Christopher Columbus

In 1492, the Genoese navigator Christopher Columbus set sail to find a shortcut to Asia, only to stumble upon a brand‑new continent. While charting the waters near what is now the Dominican Republic, he scribbled in his log that three mermaids had crossed his path, describing them as “not half as beautiful as they are painted” and noting a few oddly masculine features.

Modern scholars agree that Columbus most likely mistook a manatee or dugong for a siren. These sea‑cows can perform “tail‑stands,” lifting their heads and torsos above water, and their fore‑limbs vaguely resemble arms. After six months at sea and perhaps a few too many mugs of rum, it’s easy to see how an experienced mariner could misidentify a gentle marine mammal for a mythic creature.

Columbus wasn’t the only one to be duped. In 1826, the Portsmouth Philosophical Society displayed what they believed to be a mermaid skeleton, only to discover it was a dugong—much less glamorous, but still a fascinating reminder of how easily folklore can masquerade as fact.

9 Taro Horiba

During the tumult of 1943, a squad of Japanese soldiers stationed on Indonesia’s Kei Islands reported bizarre sightings in nearby lagoons. According to the troops, the creatures possessed human‑like faces paired with carp‑like mouths bristling with needle‑sharp teeth. They stood roughly three feet tall, sported pink skin, and bore spiky crowns atop their heads.

When the soldiers consulted local islanders, they were told these beings were called “Orang Ikan,” Malay for “fish people,” and were allegedly common in the area. Fishermen sometimes hauled them into nets, promising to keep a specimen for the troops to examine.

Sergeant Taro Horiba claimed he was shown a creature that seemed half‑human, half‑ape, and half‑fish—all three halves at once—complete with webbed fingers and toes. Though he never snapped a photograph, Horiba spent considerable post‑war effort urging zoologists to investigate, insisting that the encounter was genuine.

8 The Chief Of A Scottish Clan

In 1830, crofters on the Outer Hebrides were gathering seaweed when they caught sight of a petite woman bobbing in the surf. When a boy hurled a stone at her as she tried to flee, the onlookers claimed to hear a painful cry before she vanished beneath the waves.

Days later, the lifeless form washed ashore. The local community summoned the chief of Clanranald—who also served as the regional sheriff—to view the specimen. Witnesses described the upper half as child‑sized, with unusually large breasts, soft white skin, and long dark hair, while the lower half resembled a scaleless salmon.

The clan chief ordered a shroud and coffin, and the mermaid was interred in a nearby churchyard. The funeral reportedly attracted the largest crowd the village had ever seen, yet no headstone was ever funded, leaving the exact burial spot a mystery to this day.

7 The Shaman Of Hakata

Japanese folklore often depicts mermaids as sleek, fish‑like beings with razor‑sharp teeth and occasional horns. In 1222, a mermaid allegedly washed ashore at Hakata Bay. A local shaman declared the creature an auspicious sign, and its remains were laid to rest in Ryuguji Temple, whose name translates to “the undersea palace of the dragon god.”

For centuries, pilgrims were offered water infused with the mermaid’s bones, believed to ward off epidemics. Six of the bones still reside within the temple, smoothed by years of ritual immersion.

Modern scientists who have examined the bones suspect they may be a composite of several animals, possibly even ordinary cattle, rather than any known aquatic species. Nevertheless, the legend endures, drawing curious visitors to the enigmatic tomb.

6 Henry Hudson

Early‑17th‑century English explorer Henry Hudson, famed for his Arctic quests, found his passage blocked by ice on several voyages. While navigating the frigid waters near Novaya Zemlya, he reported an encounter with a mermaid.

Hudson described the creature as having a woman’s torso up to the navel—white‑skinned with long black hair—while the lower half resembled a speckled porpoise tail. Whether he truly saw a siren or simply a marine mammal remains a topic of debate.

5 Prince Shotoku

Prince Shotoku, a seventh‑century Japanese statesman, is remembered for instituting the Seventeen‑Article Constitution. Legend holds that a dying merman—known as a ningyo—appeared to him at Lake Biwa, pleading for a temple to house his remains as a cautionary reminder to errant fishermen.

The shrine, called Tenshou‑Kyousha, still stands near Mount Fuji, where monks guard the mummified mermaid body, preserving the eerie tale of a fish‑folk warning delivered to one of Japan’s most influential leaders.

4 Captain Richard Whitbourne

Richard Whitbourne, a seasoned explorer and writer of the late 16th and early 17th centuries, earned a reputation for battling the Spanish Armada and provisioning Newfoundland’s fisheries. In 1610, off the coast of Newfoundland, he chronicled a mermaid that swam “cheerfully” toward his small craft.

Whitbourne noted that the creature rose high enough for him to glimpse her bare shoulders and back, though he never saw her face. At one point she attempted to climb aboard, but a startled sailor struck her on the head with an oar, prompting her to retreat to a neighboring vessel before the crew fled back to shore in terror.

The account, written in Whitbourne’s meticulous hand, suggests a vivid, if unsettling, encounter—perhaps aided by a generous pour of rum.

3 Captain John Smith

Captain John Smith, famed for his leadership of the Jamestown colony, was praised by Thomas Jefferson as “honest, sensible, and well‑informed.” Some accounts claim that in 1614 he observed a green‑haired woman, “by no means unattractive,” swimming in the nearby waters, only to witness her transform into a mermaid tail as she dove.

Scholars argue that the story likely stems from later embellishment—perhaps by Alexandre Dumas—since no original notes from Smith contain such a claim. Manatees, common in the Chesapeake Bay, could have been mistaken for a mermaid, especially when viewed from behind.

2 Blackbeard

Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, began his seafaring life as a privateer before turning pirate. His flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, terrorized Caribbean waters until it ran aground in 1718, an event some historians think he orchestrated to shed his unruly crew.

Before meeting his violent end, Blackbeard allegedly consulted his logbooks and ordered his crew to avoid “enchanted” waters rumored to be inhabited by merfolk. He is said to have personally sighted these ethereal beings, prompting a cautious avoidance of the haunted seas.

1 Henry Loucks

Henry Loucks, a seasoned fisherman plying Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna River, earned a reputation for reliability on the water. In 1881, he reported five separate sightings of a mermaid that surfaced at sunrise and dusk, floated briefly, then sank, leaving only a strand of hair on the water’s surface before vanishing into a deep river cave.

Loucks admitted he contemplated shooting the creature but feared murder charges, so he let it slip away. When asked whether the mermaid possessed the classic comb and mirror, he replied, “It might have had, but I didn’t see it.” Newspaper pleas followed, offering immunity to anyone who would capture the mermaid—alive or dead—but no one ever claimed the reward.

To this day, the Susquehanna’s shimmering depths hold the mystery of Loucks’ elusive aquatic visitor.