Annual Paddleboat Gift from the Merfolk Comes Early

Prospect Park Staff were surprised to see that this year’s gift of paddleboats from the lake Merfolk arrived months earlier than expected.

“Usually the boats pop up from the lake’s depths closer to springtime,” explained Kai Opunui, Prospect Park Director of Aquatic Community Relations. “Perhaps this year the mermen and women were concerned with the frigid temperature predictions for February and March? We’re not sure, really. We have very little communication with the Merfolk, other than the gift delivery itself.”

Plans are being made for the new paddleboats to be removed from the lake and stored until spring, in case the lake freezes over.

A collection of 20 to 50 shining new paddleboats have bobbed up into the center of the lake annually since 1983, when the Merfolk moved into the lake to escape pollution from their previous home in the New York Harbor. This year’s paddle boats numbered 37.