Qalupalik: The Monstrous Inuit Mermaid

The Qalupalik

Among the Inuit people of Alaska and northern Canada, there is a legend which tells of humanoid creatures that live in the water and hunt along the shorelines. These are the Qalupalik, who dwell in the cold Arctic waters, and their bodies reflect their environment. They are said to have a generally human-like shape but express many features of the aquatic life found in the area. The Qalupalik are described as having long hair that resembles seaweed, fins on their heads or backs and limbs, and webbed hands and feet. On their webbed hands are long and sharp claws that help it to capture and eviscerate its prey. This creature’s description mirrors that of most humanoid-aquatic cryptids or beings from folklore and mythology across the world, notably that of mermaids.

Aside from the generalization that these vicious Inuit mermaids live along the shoreline, little is said about their daily habits or personal dwellings. The true concern for the people however is in what the Qalupalik does when it is on the shore, so perhaps their personal lives have never been of much import. According to the tales, the Qalupalik lets out an ethereal humming sound unlike that of any other creature that lives along the shore. This humming sound serves as a warning to everyone that they must move away from the ocean and back to safety. Those who disregard the hair-raising hunting call of this creature will be snatched by its deadly claws and dragged into the water.