Tourists sailing along the Lyse fjord in western Norway have been scanning the coastline with more than a casual interest the past three summers. If they’re lucky, the travelers will catch a glimpse of a topless blond mermaid, perched atop a rock.
But this mermaid is not the cutesy female fish made popular by Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” It is not a homage to the famous statue in Copenhagen, inspired by a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. And it’s not a scene from a Sports Illustrated photo shoot.
This mermaid is hospital worker Line Oexnevad, a 37-year-old mother of two who is periodically hired to shimmy into a fish-tail costume and pose bare-breasted for tourists.
Legendary sirens of the sea often sang to passing sailors, but Oexnevad says she isn’t a very good singer. So she just sits on the rocks in her tail and a long blond wig, baring her chest as a surprise attraction for the tourist party boats.
Reaction to her part-time job, she told news sources, is quite enthusiastic. “One man once jumped off a boat and swam over to me,” Oexnevad said. “Most people just look and cheer.”
