Fishermen in Nicaragua on Tuesday were hoping for lobsters but swam into the more miraculous. Jese Martine, a fair-weather fisherman, was making every effort in his position on the fishing boat to plunder the spiny gold of the seas, lobster for nearby restaurants.

As noted in a 2021 article from the New York Times, this occupation can be notoriously dangerous. The article states, “Scores of fishermen have died from decompression sickness in the past three decades, according to estimates by local fishermen and community leaders. Hundreds more have been paralyzed in the chase for lobsters and other delicacies like conch and sea cucumbers found deep in the ocean.”

Martine was diligently concentrating on his task, when he spotted what he first thought was a competing diver holding a large fish. When the supposed diver began to swim away though, he noticed that it was indeed a mermaid.

There have been whispers in the Nicaraguan fishing community for generations about mer-people living in an underwater community on the coast, but until this moment – it had never been confirmed. Blinded by confusion or hunger, Martine launched at the creature, capturing her in a net.

When he returned to the ship and again back on land, the shock from others was palpable. Out of the water, the scaly beauty struggled with the oxygen rich atmosphere. Martine was certain she was dead by the time he transported her to the local restaurant to which he sold lobsters.

Restaurant proprietor Damien Mele shared his shock, “This was not something real. This was unreal. He wanted to know if I would buy her by the pound like the lobsters. But, I just couldn’t do it. I could not see her staying fresh long enough to advertise such a luxurious delicacy.”

Martine tried another potential buyer who wished to remain anonymous. Martine expressed the man’s confusion over whether partaking in mermaid meat would be cannibalism or not. Martine was discouraged, until he decided to store her in a bathtub with ice in his small apartment.

After a weekend away, seeking buyers, Martine was greeted with the unexpected when he arrived home. The mermaid was alive and well, living in the melted ice of the bathtub as a cramped aquarium. Martine has named her Ariel the Second and feel in love with her fishy beauty.

“Other than the smell and that I cannot use the bath anymore, she is my precious prize. I do not think I will try to eat her,” Martine stated.