The Little Israeli Mermaid

Scotland has its Loch Ness monster, Roswell has its UFOs, and now Israel has — it hopes — its mermaid.

So many people in Kiryat Yam, on Israel’s Mediterranean Coast, have claimed to have spotted the sea creature, that the town's council is offering $1 million to anyone who can get a photograph of her.

"Many people are telling us they are sure they've seen a mermaid and they are all independent of each other," council spokesman Natti Zilberman told the UK's Sky News.

The fabled female/fish hybrid apparently comes out to play at sunset.

"People say it is half girl, half fish, jumping like a dolphin. It does all kinds of tricks then disappears," Zilberman told Sky.

The council claims it wants proof of the mermaid a-lurkin' mostly for science, but admits the mermaid could help tourism.

Can a small town north of Haifa afford a million dollar payout? "I believe, if there really is a mermaid, then so many people and tourists will come to Kiryat Yam, a lot more money will be made than a million dollars," Zilberman told Sky.

We could say it sounds fishy, but that would spoil the fun.

Photo courtesy of Alaskan Dude, via Creative Commons and Flickr