I swam up to the beach and introduced myself. I didn't know what kind of reaction to expect because I had never met a mermaid before. I was pleasantly surprised to find her very friendly and out going. I asked if she would consent to an interview for our readers and she agreed. Although I had a camera with me, I didn't have any way to take notes. For this reason some of Vira's responses may seem a little incomplete.

Steelhead: How long have you been swimming off Bodega Bay?
Vira: About 13 human years now.

Steelhead: How did you end up in the Bodega Bay Area?
Vira: I was following this fisherman around. He was a very interesting fellow, but not a very good fisherman. I tried to keep the Sea Lions off his lines, and help him become a better fisherman... One day while swimming around his boat, I found this wonderful sea cave near the edge of a kelp forest and I've called it home ever since.

Steelhead: Where is your favorite place to hang out?
Vira: If I had one, I probably wouldn't tell you. But I'm usually amongst the fisherman, on their boats and on the beach. I also like to hang around sailors, surfers, and pretty much anyone that has a love for the sea. But in the little spare time I have to hang out, I like to be around humans. Whales, dolphins and squid are all intelligent and can carry on great conversation, but they just don't have the wealth of experience and stories the humans have to tell. For instance, have you ever heard a whale tell you he swam on the moon?

Steelhead: Who are your best friends in the sea?
Vira: I have many friends in the sea but my best friends are octopuses... they have so many legs to wrap around me.

Steelhead: Do mermaids have relationships?
Vira: Yes but not the same as humans; its more platonic. I've had a few relationships with humans but the man has to be real devoted because he never knows where his mermaid is going to be. He has to be willing to drag my tail from place to place. And of course, he has to believe... oh yes, and bring me treasures. We mermaids love our little gifts. You have to have a lot of patience with a mermaid.

Steelhead: What do mermaids do?
Vira: I spend most of my time helping fishermen...trying to keep them safe, keep them from doing dumb things like shooting sharks, and keeping them company during their long trips to sea. Then I have to keep up the cave, comb my hair (do you know how long it takes to comb out my hair?) and when I get a chance and the conditions are right, I like to body surf.

Steelhead: How far do mermaids range over the course of their life?
Vira: Mermaids range as far as the fishermen they know; for me it has been from Half Moon Bay to the Klamath River. I have to take care of those guys

Steelhead: I see that you can live out of water, how long can you be on the beach or on a boat?
Vira: Until someone starts talking about politics. Mermaids just wanna have fun, that's why they get near land at all. As long as its groovy and my skin doesn't get dry, I'm ok. Mermaids can be sent ashore because they have a mission or to fulfill some requirement of their destiny, but, the longer you stay out of the ocean the further it makes you go away, it makes your legs stronger and your fin get weaker, until it makes it hard to imagine you ever came from the sea. If a mermaid is on a mission, she can't go back to sea until her work on land is done.

Steelhead: How do mermaids get around?
Vira: I don't use boats much these days. Transportation isn't what it used to be. At least Dolphins don't break down!

Steelhead: How many mermaids are there in the area? Vira: Just myself that I know of. There was another but she left because nobody encouraged her. She probably went back to the sea.

Steelhead: Have you ever lured a fisherman into the sea?
Vira: No, but I've smacked a few of them. There was this fisherman that was doing bad things to a seagull, so I smacked him with his gaf. Actually I don't lure fishermen into the sea. I'm working hard to get humans to believe. I'm a nice mermaid. I wouldn't lure a fisherman into his demise. I have been known to play a few practical jokes on them from time to time though.

Steelhead: How old are you in mermaid years?
Vira: Hard to tell. I live as long as someone believes. So if you were to say I was thirty years old, that would be a mermaid year for someone who disbelieved. I guess the times we age would be the times the humans in general forget us, for what ever reason.

Steelhead: How long do mermaids live?
Vira: Until Neptune takes your voice away....or your hair.....and then we have to go to some place else. I don't know where that is because I haven't had to go there yet! You can tease a mermaid and have fun with a mermaid, but when fishermen quit believing in mermaids, we die.

Steelhead: Do mermaids have special powers?
Vira: Yes, the power to get attention, the power to mystify, the power to lure people into our realm. We seem to be able to mesmerize men (I think it has to do with the fixation men have about what they are going to do with my tail.) And you know, we're not quite sure what to do with them once we get them.

Steelhead: Are mermaids in love with Neptune?
Vira: In envy, not in love. He is like our god, someone we look up to, someone with a lot of power. He can strike you down and make you do things. He is the one that can take away your voice or your hair. Neptune can be on the land or on water, you know. He is our king, he tells the mermaids what to do and sends us on our missions.

Steelhead: Has Neptune told you what to do?
Vira: Yes, he has told me to help give the commercial fisherman a voice.. the dying commercial fishermen a voice, through education on their fisheries. Actually Neptune gave me a lot to do...Raising curiosity, building curiosity among ordinary people not necessarily people of the sea; helping humans communicate with sea creatures; protecting fishermen (of course); working with children..... Children will always be the first to see a mermaid because they are not inhibited, their mind is open to allow that fantasy to come in. They don't care whether it is fantasy or reality. And maybe the most important mission I have is keeping alive the memories of the fishermen who have died at sea.

It was getting late in the afternoon, Vira gave me this sultry smile and asked me if I would like to come to her cave for dinner. I gracefully declined as she laughed and swam off into the sunset.

NOTE: I couldn't have produced this article without the help of Vira, the California Mermaid. She is actively involved with fishery issues on the North Coast. If you are lucky, you might spot her in the small town of Bodega eating oysters 'specially prepared for her by her good friend Jan.