Ri
Also known as: Ilkai, Papua New Guinea Mermaid
A marine humanoid reported by fishermen in New Ireland, with a woman's upper body and a fish-like lower half.
Indigenous oral tradition, documented 1980s
New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea
Human-sized
Shy, curious
Ongoing reports from fishing communities
The Lore
The ri is a mermaid-like creature reported in the waters around New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea. Local fishermen describe a being with a humanoid upper body and a fish or dolphin-like lower half, sometimes seen surfacing near reefs. In the early 1980s, researcher Roy Wagner documented testimonies from multiple communities who described the ri in consistent detail. Some theories link the sightings to dugongs, which are known to nurse their young while partially upright in the water, a posture that has inspired mermaid legends worldwide.
Body Type
Folklore Origin
Notable Witnesses
- Roy Wagner (anthropologist, 1980s fieldwork)
Similar Real Animals
You might also like
Gazeka
LowAn enormous, tapir-like beast reported by a colonial officer in the unexplored highlands of Papua New Guinea.
Ropen
MediumIslanders in Papua New Guinea describe a glowing, long-tailed flying creature that matches no known bird or bat.
Taniwha
HighSacred water guardians of Maori tradition that shape rivers, protect tribes, and sometimes drag the unwary to their doom.
Ningen
UnknownA ghostly white humanoid shape rising from Antarctic waters, seen by Japanese fishermen.
Megalodon
HighThe largest shark that ever lived went extinct 3.6 million years ago, unless the deep ocean is hiding something.
Nuckelavee
HighA skinless horse-rider hybrid rises from the ocean around Orkney, and its breath alone can wilt crops and sicken entire islands.
Globster
LowMassive, fleshy, unidentifiable masses that wash ashore worldwide, defying easy explanation until the lab results come in.
Moehau
HighA hairy, rock-throwing giant reported in New Zealand's Coromandel Range long before the Bigfoot craze.