Mermaids are aquatic creatures that have the tail of a fish and upper body and head of a human.
For centuries, they have been one of the mysteries of the folklore of various cultures.
While some old stories have long been forgotten, one Israeli town, Kiryat Yam, hit the headlines in 2009 after announcing a $1 million award for the one who would catch the mysterious creature that was apparently spotted several times near the town.
“I was with friends when suddenly we saw a woman lying on the sand in a weird way,” Shlomo Cohen, a local who allegedly saw a mermaid, said.
“At first I thought she was just another sunbather, but when we approached she jumped into the water and disappeared. We were all in shock because we saw she had a tail. At least five of us saw it and we all couldn’t believe it,” Cohen continued.
According to Daily News, Kirvat Yam council spokesman, Natti Zilberman, explained that “many people are telling us they are sure they’ve seen a mermaid and they are all independent of each other.”
“People say it is half girl, half fish, jumping like a dolphin. It does all kinds of tricks, then disappears,” she continued.
56-year-old market-stall holder Oleg Borisov also reported that he saw a mysterious creature prior to the announcements in the media. “All of a sudden I felt as if somebody was spreading my legs and going right between them. My dog started barking and there was a loud splash on the water. I screamed and fled—I was stuttering I was so scared,” he recalled.
“Those mermaids are usually so snobby, always drumming up excitement and then leaving to go back to the depths of the sea as soon as they get some attention,” another Kiryat Yam local said.
While the mermaid topic remains a controversial one, there are more and more people sharing their own experiences in an attempt to convince others that they really exist.
Do you believe there’s a chance that mermaids exist? Or do you think it’s just optical illusions playing tricks on people? Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to SHARE the post!