Many of the mermaids and other sea creatures covered themselves with chocolate syrup to symbolize the devastation of a part of the Atlantic Ocean not all that far away.
“Gulf coast refugees need clean water,” declared a sign held by one of the “oil”-covered mermaids. “Go drill in your own back yard,” said another.
"Dear BP: We don’t swim in your toilet so don’t dump in our ocean,” said a pink poster carried by a young mermaid. “United against Big Oil,” said another sign.
Wesley “Brkins,” who is originally from New Orleans but temporarily lives in New York wore an oil-spill costume. “It was great before the oil came,” he said. “It will be worse -- the hurricanes are coming.”
The Mermaid Parade was founded in 1983 by Coney Island USA, the non-profit art group to celebrate the summer as well as Coney Island’s rich history. Since then the parade marches along Surf Avenue and Boardwalk on a Saturday around the first day of summer.
“Lou Reed” was the king and “Laurie Anderson” was the queen of this year’s parade.
"There is nothing like the Mermaid Parade,” said Allyson Barlow, who came to see the parade with her two daughters. “We come when we hear the mermaids’ call.”
"Chris Bunny” has been to the parade for the sixth time. “Every year it gets more elaborate and more strange, and more people come,” he said while introducing a group of friends. “We are a little family who celebrates this holiday that for us is bigger than Christmas or Thanksgiving.”
