In last week's episode of Destination Truth, the team captures some very interesting footage off the coast of Israel!  Lured by the promise of a $1 million payoff for capturing proof of a mermaid, Gates and crew travel to the coastal town of Kiryat Yam, Israel.  (Did they really fly back and forth, as the episode asserts?  Because not for nothing, but they were just IN Israel the week before, you know?  Doesn't it seem like… well, never mind, what do I know?)

Several people have sighted a mermaid in the warm seas off Kiryat Yam.  Although admittedly "sighted" may be too strong a word.  One man they interview says that he felt the presence of something in the sea below him as he swam, and that something brushed up against his leg.  Well, okay; way to hear hoof beats in Central Park and think "zebra"!

After miraculously not being crushed by the waves in a series of sea caves, the team decides to set up a stakeout in the harbor.  With several people on a boat in the harbor, a lookout on the shore with a zero lux camera, and several divers in the water, we're ready for the inevitable: something big swimming past.

"Something Big Swimming Past" is a common occurrence on any Destination Truth episode that involves large bodies of water and the middle of the night.  The truth is that there are a lot of large-ish animals in the ocean, many of which (sharks in particular) are nocturnal.  And that it is almost impossible to identify "something big swimming past."

Thus, I was thoroughly prepared for "something big swimming past."  But what surprised me was the footage from the shore, of what looks very much like a human torso and head standing upright in the water and holding that position for a few moments.  Just like a mermaid would!

Actually, my first thought was that it looked exactly like a human being.  TOO exactly.  And I wondered if some prankster might have swum out on a surf board, for the express purpose of sitting up and freaking out the camera crew.  My second thought was to wonder if there was a sand bar in that area, where a night swimmer might have stopped to look in towards town.

Although its sister show "Ghost Hunters" is always very cautious about ruling out pranksters (having been burned several times), "Destination Truth" never really considers this possibility.  

Having grown up in an isolated town myself, I am familiar with the combination of teenage hijinks, boredom, and a prankish nature.  Our town was once terrorized by a series of UFO sightings one week.  Come to find out it was the work of a prankster who had nailed a can of sterno to a sheet of plywood, then secured a tarp over it to serve as an impromptu glowing hot air balloon. Not to mention crop circles!

Another likely possibility is raised by the marine biologist they consult at home.  The silhouette could easily be that of a seal.  And I can attest to how human a seal can be in silhouette, having encountered many of the curious fellows living here by the sea.

Seal, prankster, night swimmer, or actual mermaid?  Hard to say, but this episode was definitely worth watching!

Creative Commons-licensed image courtesy of Flickr user E.E.Piphanies