Mermaid Sighting in Kiryat Yam: Real or Hoax?

A video allegedly shows a real mermaid captured on tape by two men. Is this real or fake?

It’s fake.

Let’s first take a look at the video which has been circulating since mid-2013.

The video (below) shows what appears to be a creature on a rock formation near the coast. The men in the video discuss what they are seeing, at first thinking it could be a seal. When the camera zooms in on the creature, it appears to be a mermaid which looks back and then enters the water. The men are dumbfounded by the amazing sight.

The video, entitled “Mermaid Sighting in Kiryat Yam,” is a fictional presentation created for a special entitled Mermaids: The New Evidence which first aired on Animal Planet on May 26, 2013. It is a follow-up to the 2012 special entitled Mermaids: The Body Found. The 2013 “New Evidence” special aired as part of Monster Week.

Both of these “mockumentary” presentations depict fictional encounters with strange creatures, as seen in this video.

Take a look at the video which was released as a sneak peak by Animal Planet in advance of the mermaid special:

2012 Press Release

In a press release relating to the original 2012 “Body Found” special, Animal Planet noted, “This two-hour special is science fiction based on some real events and scientific theory.”

NOAA Statement

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has weighed in on the mermaid issue, stating, “No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found.”

Bottom Line

The “mermaid sighting” video is not real. It was part of a fictional special by Animal Planet and Discovery Channel.

Further Reading

• ‘Mermaids: The New Evidence’ Tries to Convince Viewers that Mermaids are Real (Bubble News)
• No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found (NOAA)
• “Mermaids: The Body Found” Press Release (Discovery/Animal Planet 2012)

Updated December 28, 2014
Originally published May 2013