Revisiting the “Hurricane Ike” Mermaid

A video allegedly shows a dead mermaid discovered in debris left by Hurricane Ike. Is this real or fake?

This is a hoax.

Before we evaluate the details of the hoax, let’s take a look at the video which had over five million views on YouTube before it was removed. The video below is a low-resolution re-post of the original.

Upon our first evaluation of the video, we made the following observations:

• The carcass is not covered with flies or insects, which would be expected for a rotting creature.
• The body looks similar to a dead mermaid on a beach featured in another popular video. (see below)
• The hands are misshapen, and do not resemble what one would expect with a deceased human, nor do they include any webbing.
• A decomposed sea creature should not have leathery-looking skin as depicted here.
• This is the only known video of the creature, and no reports of the “sighting” appeared in the media.
• A deceased creature in the sea should decompose, not mummify

Similarities to Dead Florida Mermaid video

There are similarities between this video and the “Dead Florida” mermaid video. Both videos begin with a sweeping panoramic of the beach, before the mermaid is approached. Both mermaids have intact bodies and decomposed arms. Both mermaids appear to be wearing a red wig, although this mermaid’s wig is not as clean as the other. The reason these two mermaids look so similar is that they were in fact created by the same person: artist Juan Cabana.

Juan Cabana – ‘Nerina’ 2008

The origin of this mermaid was not the ocean, but the imagination of an artist named Juan Cabana. His biography on Coast to Coast AM reads, “Artist Juan Cabana, using the remains of dead fish and assorted animals as his medium, creates fantastic new lifeforms for people to enjoy today. His life-like creations reflect his interest in Cryptozoology, Anthropology and Science Fiction. Currently, sea monsters and mermaids are his central focus. Juan hopes to someday have the world’s largest sea creature museum.”

The mermaid in the video above is a worked titled “Nerina” from 2008 by Cabana. It was listed on his website thefeejeemermaid.com as being sold sold for $10,000.

Hurricane Ike was one of the costliest hurricanes to hit the U.S., making landfall around Galveston, Texas in September 2008.

Google Trends

The chart below shows search history on the Hurricane Ike Mermaid, with several appearances since 2012.

Bottom Line

The “Hurricane Ike” mermaid video shows a work of art by Juan Cabana entitled Nerina, 2008. 

Updated February 26, 2016
Originally published January 2014