Are Mermaids Real? California Police Find Nearly Naked Woman With Webbed Toes Claiming To Be Mermaid

Do mermaids exist? There is no clear evidence yet that the oceans around the world are occupied by the mythical creature — half human and half fish. However, some people still believe in them and continue to search for substantial proof of the legendary creature. A woman was found Tuesday near the Table Mountain in Fresno, California, who claimed that she was a mermaid. Local authorities spotted the half-naked woman loitering around a street in that area Tuesday morning.

The woman has not been identified yet, however, she told the police that she was a mermaid. Police are asking for help to identify the woman. Local news reports said she was found around 3 a.m. EDT, her hair was wet and she told the Fresno Police Department that her name was Joanna.

According to the police, she had two webbed toes on both her feet and she told the authorities that she had been in the water. The police said that she replied to most of the questions with, "I don't know."

The police described her as having brown eyes and brown hair, weighing about 150 pounds and 5 feet 4 inches tall. She was spotted strolling down the middle of Millerton Road that is situated across from the Eagle Spring Golf & Country Club, which is about a mile south of Table Mountain in Fresno.

The police have asked for help in identifying the woman and anyone with any kind of information about her has been asked to call (559) 621-2455.

There have been other instances in the past when people claimed the sighting of mermaids, however, they turned out to be hoaxes.

Recently in 2014 a story published by a blogger on Lifestyle Tabloids claimed two mermaids were found alive in Nkandla, South Africa. The site also had a statement from South African President Jacob Zuma's official spokesman: "The president of the republic, Jacob Zuma, would like to set on record that although the two mermaids were discovered in a pool situated inside his Nkandla homestead, he was not aware of their existence."

The South African story of mermaids gained attention after a photo of a mermaid with scaly skin and fin went viral on Twitter with over 8,000 retweets. However, it was discovered to be a hoax. The mermaid shown in the photo was reportedly just a prop created by makeup and special effects artist Joel Harlow for the 2011 film "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides."