The Mermaid of Grand Etang
In the crater of an extinct volcano on Grenada lies a misty lake. Islanders say a mermaid lives in its depths, and that the lake has no bottom.
What was reported
Grand Etang is a round lake filling the crater of an old volcano in the rainforest of central Grenada. It's often covered in mist, and the forest around it is home to mona monkeys.
Local legend says the lake is bottomless, and that it's home to a mermaid, sometimes called the Mama Glo or Mama Dlo, the mother of the water, who protects the lake and the forest and may lure people into its depths.
Explanations offered
The lake is actually quite shallow, a few metres deep in most places. Water spirits like Mama Dlo appear across the Caribbean, blending West African, Indigenous and European traditions. The legend is part of the lake's attraction for visitors.
- When
- Told for generations
- Where
- Grand Etang Lake, Grenada
- Witnesses
- Grenadian folklore
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.