Mermaid sighting reported in Israel

Mermaid sighting reported in Israel
August 18, 2009
By LILY FU
WIVB.com

The Southwest has UFOs. Scotland has the Loch Ness Monster. Now Israel has a mermaid?

LiveScience reports that locals and tourists are flocking to the town of Kiryat Yam hoping to catch a glimpse of a mermaid who has been spotted doing a few tricks and disappearing into the water.

According to Schlomo Cohen, one of the first people to see the mermaid, "I was with friends when suddenly we saw a woman laying on the sand in a weird way. 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."

Kiryat Yam is now offering $1 million to the first person to snap a photograph of the reported mermaid. "I believe if there really is a mermaid then so many people will come to Kiryat Yam, a lot more money will be made than $1 million," town spokesman Natti Zilberman said.

Even if the mermaid ends up being a hoax, the town will be able to save the $1 million and continue to see a jump in tourism.

Mermaids are believed to be mythological creatures that have a human head and torso and the tail of a fish. Throughout history, they are said to have charmed people, often distracting them and causing them to walk off their ship decks or run ships aground. Other mermaids are said to have squeezed men to death while attempting to rescue them.

One of the earliest mermaid hoaxes involved showman P.T. Barnum and his "FeeJee Mermaid." The creature, which was displayed in his museum, was actually a taxidermy fake -- the head and torso of a small monkey were grafted onto the body and tail of a fish.