Mermaid Myths
The name of the beautiful half-fish/bird whose songs lured men to crash on shore.
What are Sirens?
This brightly colored, stripey fish is famous for living symbiotically inside venomous sea anemones for protection.
What is a Clownfish?
This iconic deep-sea fish uses a glowing, bioluminescent lure dangling from its head to attract unsuspecting prey in total darkness.
What is Angler Fish?
This legendary "unsinkable" British passenger liner struck an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean during its maiden voyage in 1912.
What is the Titanic?
Ocean tides are primarily caused by the gravitational pull of this celestial body as it orbits the Earth.
What is the Moon?
This trident wielding Greek god is depicted in mythology as the father of mermaids/men.
Who is Poseidon?
This incredibly social marine mammal uses a complex system of clicks and whistles to communicate, and they are known to actively hunt in groups called "pods."
What is a Dolphin?
This massive, elusive invertebrate inspired historical legends of the "Kraken" and possesses eyes the size of dinner plates to see in the deep ocean.
What is a Giant Squid?
According to Plato, this mythical, highly advanced island civilization sank into the ocean in a single day and night of misfortune after falling out of favor with the gods.
What is Atlantis?
This is the common name for a massive, destructive ocean wave triggered by an underwater earthquake, volcanic eruption, or landslide.
What is a Tsunami?
In 1493 this famous explorer logged that he saw 3 "Mermaids" off the coast, saying they were "not as beautiful" as depicted.
Who is Christopher Columbus?
This tiny, upright-swimming fish is unique because the males are the ones who carry the eggs and give birth to the offspring.
What is Seahorse?
Named after a famous horror icon, this small deep-sea cephalopod has webbing between its arms that looks like a cape and uses glowing tips on its tentacles to confuse predators.
What is a Vampire Squid?
This infamous, real-life English pirate captained the Queen Anne's Revenge before his flagship ran aground and sank off the coast of North Carolina in 1718.
Who is Blackbeard (or Edward Teach)?
Covering over 30% of the Earth's surface, this is the largest and deepest of the world's five major oceanic divisions.
What is the Pacific Ocean?
In Irish mythology, this specific type of mermaid can shed her seal skin to walk on land as a human, but will die if her skin is stolen or hidden from her.
What is a Selkie?
Despite its friendly-sounding name, this large, aggressive fish has razor-sharp teeth and a bad reputation for attacking shiny objects that look like fish scales.
What is a Barracuda?
This deep-sea scavenger, often called a "living fossil," looks like a giant underwater pillbug and can survive for years without eating a single meal.
What is a Giant Isopod?
This notorious body of water in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean is famous for the mysterious disappearances of numerous aircraft and surface vessels.
What is the Bermuda Triangle?
This is the term for the spectacular marine phenomenon where microscopic algae emit light when disturbed, making the waves look like they are glowing neon blue at night.
What is Bioluminescence?
This terrifying, skeletal mermaid-like monster from Scottish folklore is said to inhabit deep, dark freshwater lochs and drag unsuspecting children to the bottom.
What is Jenny Greenteeth (or Peg Powler)?
This highly intelligent, eight-armed creature has three hearts, blue blood, and can completely camouflage its skin texture and color in milliseconds.
What is an Octopus?
Found near hydrothermal vents, this bizarre worm has no mouth, no gut, and no eyes, relying entirely on billions of deep-sea bacteria inside its body to survive.
What is Giant Tube Worm?
Discovered in a Mediterranean shipwreck in 1901, this ancient Greek hand-powered analogue computer is considered the oldest known example of a complex scientific geared mechanism.
What is the Antikythera Mechanism?
Reaching nearly 36,000 feet deep in the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench, this is the official name of the deepest known point on Earth.
What is Challenger Deep?