Mermaid, Settles
p. 23 · Read in the full issue
Suzy, The Airborne Mermaid, Settles In At Noumea
An air ambulance of the New Caledonian airline Transpac had an unusual passenger in early February when it carried a mermaid, which had been captured at the northern tip of New Caledonia, to Noumea.
The mermaid—actually a dugong, which is generally accepted as the source of the mermaid legend—was offered to the owner of the Noumea aquarium on condition that he should "come and get it".
Doctor Catalan, owner of the aquarium, accepted the challenge and chartered the air ambulance.
The dugong, wrapped in wet blan kets and lying on a stretcher, arrived safely in Noumea after a trip of nearly 200 miles.
In late February, Suzy, as the dugong was named, was doing well in its new home. The only snag was finding enough algae—which is what dugongs live on—to feed Suzy.