According to officials in the Kiryat Yam principality, so many independent eyewitness reports of a mermaid have surfaced in recent weeks that they are offering $1 million to anyone who brings them irrefutable proof of the creature. (They said a photograph is enough.)
When asked if the locale could afford such an amount, an official responded, "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 $1m," leading many skeptics to accuse the council of creating the story to boost tourism. However, the council denied those claims, saying the eyewitness reports are detailed, independent, and cover a large area of the ocean.
Further, when directly asked if eyewitnesses might be seeing other creatures classically reported as those mistaken for such a fantastical creature (such as a dolphin or walrus) a spokesperson vehemently denied it, saying: "They say it is a female figure. It looks like a young girl."
The principality says the mermaid, which "jumps like a dolphin" and "does all kinds of tricks" before disappearing back into the waves, appears mainly at sunset. The reports, true or false, have drawn throngs of sightseers and tourists, hoping to capture a picture of what may turn out to be one of the few fisherman's tales to be believed.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
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