The Legend of Mermaid Bay

Available in the Mermaid Bay Legacy Tour Brochure

When explorers first arrived here in 1805, they found the waves so gentle, they named the place Serene Bay.

According to local lore, about one hundred years later, a widowed fisherman suffered a long spell of misfortune. His nets came up empty. His sails tore in sudden gusts. Oyster beds were barren. Each day, his hopes diminished. Until one foggy morning, his net caught something extraordinary: a mermaid. Something about her reminded him of his dearly departed wife. Without asking for a favor or a wish, he set her free. Grateful, the mermaid chose to remain in the bay, revealing herself only to the fisherman when he was in his boat. Although many claim to have heard her sing in Gaelic in the bay on foggy nights.

From that day forward, the widowed fisherman’s luck changed. His nets overflowed with fish. His sails found steady winds. And when he dove the oysters were plentiful, many with pearls gleaming inside. He tossed those pearls back into the sea as gifts for the mermaid who watched over him. He named her Serena and told anyone who would listen that she was the guardian of Serene Bay.

The town also flourished. But the mermaid’s story didn’t end there.

Serena was a princess of the sea, promised to a merman she didn’t love. She had given her heart to the fisherman instead. When the spurned merman learned of Serena’s choice, he vowed revenge.

One morning, the fisherman set sail beneath a red-streaked sky, ignoring the omen. A ferocious storm rolled in—one fiercer than Serene Bay had ever seen. When it passed, neither the fisherman nor his boat were ever seen again. Heartbroken, Serena wept, and her tears turned into sea glass, scattered across the shores of the bay.

Yet the town continued to thrive, blessed by her protection. At the turn of the century, the townspeople renamed their home Mermaid Bay to honor the legend.

Don't believe the tale? Sea glass still washes ashore in Mermaid Bay today. And on foggy nights, if you listen closely, some say you can hear Serena’s song.