Buzz
In contemporary times, many people accept mermaids as a captivating legend, symbolizing nature's power over humanity or as a warning that things aren't always what they appear to be. Then, there’s the classic depiction of women as seductresses, drawing helpless men to their doom with their dangerously enchanting charm. Or perhaps, the mermaid is a cartoon character with wild hair and an angelic singing voice.
Yet, there was a time when entirely logical individuals not only believed in mermaids, but some even convinced themselves they had witnessed one in all its scaly glory. Here are ten such accounts.
10. Christopher Columbus
In 1492, Christopher Columbus embarked on a journey to discover a new trade route to Asia and famously ‘discovered’ the ‘New World’ of the Americas by chance. Not only did he encounter a new continent, but he also observed several mythical creatures. In his journal, he wrote that while sailing near the Dominican Republic, he saw three mermaids, which he described as ‘not nearly as beautiful as depicted’ and possessing ‘some masculine features.’
It is now widely accepted that what Columbus likely encountered was a manatee or dugong. These creatures can perform 'tail stands,' raising their heads and torsos out of the water. Their forelimbs resemble arms, and they can rotate their heads from side to side. Given that it was dusk, and Columbus had been at sea for six months, possibly with more than a bit too much rum, it’s easy to see how an experienced sailor might mistake a sea cow for a Siren. Though, it must have been some potent rum.
However, Columbus wasn’t the only one to report such encounters. In 1826, a so-called skeleton of a mermaid was presented to the Portsmouth Philosophical Society, but it turned out to be a dugong. This must have been a letdown, as a mermaid would have surely added some excitement to their meetings.
9. Taro Horiba
In 1943, during World War II, a group of Japanese soldiers stationed on Indonesia’s Kei Islands began to report sightings of unusual creatures in the surrounding waters. These creatures were described as having humanlike faces but mouths resembling that of a carp, complete with needle-sharp teeth. They were around 0.9 meters (3 ft) tall, had pink skin, and had spikes on their heads. The creatures were spotted near the lagoons or frolicking on the beaches. If approached, they would dive into the water and disappear.
When the soldiers inquired with the locals about the creatures, they were told these mermaids were called Orang Ikan, meaning 'fish people' in Malay, and that they were quite common in the area. Local fishermen reportedly sometimes found them caught in their nets and even promised to keep one for the soldiers.
Sergeant Taro Horiba claims to have encountered a creature that appeared to be part human, part ape, and part fish (yes, that's three halves) with webbed fingers and toes, resembling some kind of amphibian. Horiba didn’t think to take a photo of this creature, which was unfortunate, but he did spend considerable time after the war trying to convince zoologists to investigate it. So it must be true.
8. The Chief Of A Scottish Clan
In 1830, crofters in the Outer Hebrides, off the coast of Scotland, were collecting seaweed along the shore when they noticed a small woman in the water. Some of the men tried to capture her, and as she was fleeing, a boy threw a rock at her. The crofters reported hearing her cry out in pain before she vanished beneath the waves.
A few days later, her body was discovered washed up on the shore. A crowd gathered, and they sent for the most prominent local figure, the chief of MacDonald of Clanranald, part of the esteemed Scottish MacDonald Clan, who was also the local sheriff. The upper half of the mermaid was said to be about the size of a four-year-old child, though with notably large breasts. Her skin was soft and pale, and she had long, dark hair. The lower half resembled that of a salmon, albeit without scales.
The clan chief instructed that a shroud and coffin be brought to the beach, and the mermaid was laid to rest in a nearby churchyard. Her funeral was reportedly the most attended in the area’s history. Unfortunately, no one thought to raise funds for a headstone, so the exact location of the mermaid's grave remains a mystery.
This wasn't the only mermaid story tied to Scotland. In 1833, a professor of natural history from Edinburgh University claimed that Scottish fishermen had captured a live mermaid and kept it in captivity for three hours for study. The creature was said to have the face of a monkey, the torso of a woman, and the tail of a dogfish.
7. The Shaman Of Hakata
Japan has a deep-rooted connection with mermaids, although the mermaids in Japanese legend are much more fishlike than the curvaceous European versions we might be familiar with. These mermaids typically possess sharp teeth and sometimes even horns, and are believed to have magical abilities, though the specifics of their powers are often left vague.
The supposed remains of a Japanese mermaid are displayed in Fukuoka at the Ryuguji Temple. In 1222, a mermaid allegedly washed up on the shores of Hakata Bay. The local shaman declared it an omen of good fortune, and its remains were buried in the Ryuguji Temple, which translates to 'the undersea palace of the dragon god.' A fitting tribute.
For many years, temple visitors were offered water that had been soaked in the mermaid’s bones. This water was believed to protect against numerous epidemics. Six of the bones are still preserved in the temple, their surfaces smoothed by years of soaking.
Many still visit the mermaid’s tomb, which may explain why the temple’s guardians have refrained from DNA testing the bones. Some scientists who have analyzed the remains suspect that the bones might belong to more than one animal and probably not any known aquatic species. There are even theories that the bones could be from an ordinary land-dwelling cow.
6. Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson was an English explorer in the early 17th century, renowned for his explorations in North America. He is most famous for the bay, strait, and river that bear his name. Hudson embarked on four expeditions in search of the legendary Northwestern Passage to the Far East. During his second voyage, when his route through the Arctic was obstructed by ice, he altered his course and sailed northeast toward Novaya Zemlya in the Russian Arctic. Once again, ice blocked his path, forcing him to turn back. However, it was during his time in these Russian waters that he reportedly encountered a mermaid.
Hudson described the mermaid he saw as having the upper body of a full-grown woman, with white skin and long black hair. Below the waist, he noticed a tail resembling that of a porpoise, adorned with a speckled mackerel-like pattern. Or perhaps, he mused, it was a porpoise with a porpoise's tail.
5. Prince Shotoku
Prince Shotoku, a key figure in Japanese history, was known for his strength and seriousness. In the seventh century, he introduced the Seventeen Article Constitution, which outlined the ethical duties of government officials. Shotoku was not a man to indulge in fairy tales.
A merman is said to have appeared to Prince Shotoku at Lake Biwa, reportedly in his final moments. As is often the case with those nearing death, the merman took time to share his story with a stranger. He revealed that he had once been a fisherman who ventured into forbidden waters. As punishment, he was transformed into a grotesque, fish-like creature. The merman, or ningyo, accepted this fate and requested the prince to build a temple to house his body after his death. His wish was that the temple would serve as a warning to other fishermen to stay away from such forbidden areas.
The temple, known as the Tenshou-Kyousha Shrine, is located near Mount Fuji. There, the mummified remains of the mermaid are preserved and guarded by Shinto Buddhist monks.
4. Captain Richard Whitbourne
Richard Whitbourne, an explorer, writer, and colonizer during the 16th and 17th centuries, was a man of action. He led ships into battle against the Spanish Armada and organized the shipment of fish from Newfoundland to the Mediterranean. He seemed, by all accounts, a man of great experience—certainly not one given to flights of fancy.
In 1610, while off the coast of Newfoundland, Whitbourne recounted his encounter with a mermaid. He described her swimming 'cheerfully' toward the small boats his crew sailed in. The mermaid swam gracefully, occasionally diving beneath the surface, and then rising high enough out of the water for Whitbourne to see her bare shoulders and back. He claimed, however, that he did not look at her front.
Whitbourne recounted how the mermaid approached their boat and tried to climb aboard. However, the sailors, terrified, responded by striking her on the head with an oar. Shocked, she released her hold and swam toward another boat. The men, now panicked, hurriedly made their way back to shore as quickly as they could.
Whitbourne's account is notably detailed, and it was written in his typically neat handwriting—a feat that surely required considerable effort, especially after consuming all that rum.
3. Henry Loucks
Henry Loucks was a fisherman on the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, known for his reputation of being 'as reliable as any fisherman on the river.' Whether this is a compliment or simply a statement of fact is open to interpretation.
In 1881, Loucks reported having witnessed the mermaid on five separate occasions along the Susquehanna River. He described how the mermaid appeared at sunrise and sunset, rising from the depths, surveying the surroundings, floating on the water for a time, and then slowly sinking below the surface. Before vanishing, her hair would float on the surface for a brief moment, before she finally disappeared into the depths.
Loucks mentioned that he had briefly considered shooting the mermaid but was concerned about facing a murder charge, so he ultimately decided to let it go. When asked if the mermaid, as in the fairy tales, was carrying a comb and a mirror, he replied, 'It might have had them, but I didn’t see it.' When questioned where the mermaid might have gone, Loucks speculated that it likely had a cave hidden deep beneath the river.
Newspaper articles called for the mermaid to be captured, urging potential hunters to try to bring it in alive, though they reassured that anyone bringing in a dead mermaid would not face prosecution. No one has taken them up on the offer as of yet.
2. Blackbeard
Edward Teach, the infamous pirate known as Blackbeard, began his career as a privateer during Queen Anne’s War. After the war ended, he turned to piracy, naming his ship the Queen Anne’s Revenge in tribute to his former employer. Blackbeard and his crew ruled the Caribbean, seizing ships and expanding their fleet. With a crew of 300, Blackbeard’s group was the largest pirate force ever to disrupt shipping on the high seas. At one point, Blackbeard boldly blockaded Charlestown's port, capturing any ships trying to enter or leave and demanding ransoms for the release of the sailors.
In 1718, the Queen Anne's Revenge was deliberately run aground. Some historians believe that Blackbeard, Edward Teach, intentionally scuttled his own ship to break up his increasingly troublesome crew. Soon after, Blackbeard was captured and killed, with his severed head being displayed on the front of his captor's ship as a grim warning to others.
Before meeting his tragic end, Blackbeard had a more mystical experience. According to his logbooks, he ordered his crew to avoid certain 'enchanted' waters, believing them to be inhabited by merfolk. He claimed to have seen these merfolk himself and grew cautious about angering them.
1. Captain John Smith
Captain John Smith, the explorer who may or may not have rescued Pocahontas (the historical accuracy of which is debated), became the leader of the Jamestown colony. He established largely peaceful trade relations with the Powhatan tribes. Smith was regarded as a rational man, with Thomas Jefferson once describing him as 'honest, sensible, and well-informed.'
Given his reputation for credibility, can we trust his account of seeing a mermaid? In 1614, Smith claimed to have seen a green-haired woman, 'by no means unattractive,' swimming in the water. When she turned to dive, Smith was reportedly shocked to see her mermaid's tail.
Manatees are frequently observed in the bay where Smith reportedly encountered a Sirenian, which might lead some to believe, as many have, that he mistook a manatee for a mermaid when seen from behind. However, there are suggestions that not only did Smith not see a mermaid, but he might not have even made such a claim.
Some historians propose that the account of the mermaid sighting was not written by John Smith, but rather by the renowned writer Alexander Dumas, famous for works such as The Three Musketeers and The Man in the Iron Mask. This story was supposedly recorded by Smith in 1614, but in reality, he had not been in the area since 1607. There is no trace of the mermaid story in Smith’s original notes, most of which remain intact. The first mention of Smith’s mermaid encounter appears in a tale by Dumas, who referenced Smith’s supposed account. This adventure supposedly helped lend authenticity to Dumas’ own narrative, in which a man fathers four children with a mermaid.
