Case file · Cryptid
Columbus's three 'mermaids'
On 9 January 1493, off the north coast of Hispaniola, Columbus wrote that he saw three mermaids rise from the sea, adding that they were 'not as beautiful as they are painted'.
1493 CE · 19.85, -71.65 · status: explained
The account
He was near the mouth of the Río Yaque del Norte by Monte Cristi. He also said he had seen similar creatures off West Africa.
The sceptical view
They were almost certainly West Indian manatees, which surface and hold their heads above water in shallow bays.