What is the mermaid eating parties conspiracy theory, and why are TikTokers now obsessed with it?

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Published Mar 11, 2025 at 01:15 PM

Reading time: 3 minutes

66636

Another week, another delulu moment brought to you by our amazing netizens… and this time, it’s about mermaid-eating parties. Yes, you heard that right. I’m not making this up! Mermaid eating is the latest viral sensation taking over TikTok, and it’s both wild and hilarious.

The theory gained traction in March 2025 after TikToker @Jlee2.07 posted a video of an ex-con fisherman who allegedly caught mermaids for a secret elite dinner party where they ate the fantastical creatures for research purposes… or whatever. The theory took off like wildfire, with other conspiracy TikTokers diving into it, some skeptical and others just rolling with it.

https://www.tiktok.com/@jlee2.07/video/7477958169470258474

One TikTok user even claimed to have been contacted by someone who participated in one of these bizarre Hollywood-style rituals. According to her, she was told that this man was invited to a dinner for the “kings of lost civilizations,” from history to present, where mermaids were served as the main course. She described the mermaids in the most eerie way, saying their torsos were similar to humans—slender arms, delicate collarbones, and pale faces frozen in serene stillness—but with scales covering their bodies, shimmering in blue-green hues. It basically gave The Little Mermaid, but it was for dinner. Underneath their ribs, the flesh was “preciously cut,” revealing marble-like meat. Yikes.

https://www.tiktok.com/@husao11/video/7480472860738276638e

Who started these rumors?

So, here’s how it all began. On 4 March 2025, TikToker @Jlee2.07 posted a video recounting a story about a guy named Landon. Landon had just been released from prison, got kicked out of his house, and was struggling to find work. His cousin Travis got him a job on an East Coast fishing boat, but what Landon didn’t know was that this boat wasn’t your average fishing operation. It was run by a man named Captain Burgess, and they were allegedly hunting mermaids.

https://www.tiktok.com/@jlee2.07/video/7478857135976090926

In this video, Landon learns that his cousin’s fishing charter has been taken over by this shady new crew, and they’re on a mission to catch a very special kind of fish for a big paycheck.

Landon’s curiosity grows when Travis shows him a room full of massive tanks resembling fish tanks. When Landon asks what they’re for, Travis mysteriously replies, “Big pay-day.” Later that evening, Captain Burgess asks Landon to sign an NDA. Suspicious much?

Fast forward to when the crew arrives at a port and takes the mermaid to a warehouse. And guess what? This warehouse is set up like a high-end restaurant. The wealthy clientele reportedly has high-tech radars to track mermaids, and one of them even eats the mermaid (or so the story goes). They compare it to a hibachi restaurant, with people gathered around to watch the “main course” being prepared.

@ayceyboy14

Mermaid eating party #mermaideatingparty ? đŸ§œđŸŒ

♬ original sound - Ayce Vibes

The Conspiracy grows

A second video came out on 5 March 2025 with even more mermaid drama. This time, the story focuses on the second mermaid Landon allegedly caught. She was “a fighter,” the TikToker says, and things got really weird. I know what you’re thinking. Weirder than eating mermaids? Bring it on: apparently, the crew also catches regular fish as a cover-up but focuses mostly on mermaids. They even have special equipment to track them down, and when they catch the second mermaid, things take a turn.

https://www.tiktok.com/@jlee2.07/video/7478341588444269870

During the struggle to contain the mermaid, she supposedly scratched one of the crew members, who was named Luke. At one point, her fingers even got slammed in the tank lid, causing them to get damaged. They then find a “bigger buyer” on a remote island—who is not your average military person, but part of a secret “black-ops” agency. They even make a big deal about the mermaid’s finger regenerating. Spooky.

Landon is, unsurprisingly, fed up with the whole thing and wants to quit, but Travis says, “Not happening, buddy.” And, of course, the next mermaid gets captured for another wealthy client. This theory has become a full-blown conspiracy, and people just can’t get enough of it. One more video hits, and suddenly, it’s all anyone can talk about.

@aja_babi

I’ve been telling you about the #mermaids

♬ Creepy and simple horror background music(1070744) - howlingindicator

So, what’s the deal with mermaid eating parties?

While this whole “mermaid eating” concept has been circulating in fiction for years (hello, Mermaid Saga anime, where eating mermaid flesh makes you immortal), the TikTok conspiracy definitely takes it to another level. The idea that ultra-wealthy elites are having secret parties where they eat mythical creatures like mermaids while entertaining the most bizarre and elaborate backstories has captured a lot of attention.

@in2thesoul0

#tiktok #fypage #mermaid #elite #dinnerparty #siren

♬ Anxiety - Doechii

But seriously, at this point, it’s all getting a little too much. Sure, it’s a fun, wild, over-the-top story, but let’s not forget that it’s just a viral conspiracy theory, likely meant to entertain and rake in some views.

So, how about we all just take a breather from social media and maybe read a nice book instead of being sucked into these absurd conspiracy theories? Just a thought.

Keep On Reading

By Alma Fabiani

Conspiracy theories were bound to happen

By Charlie Sawyer

Conspiracy theorists claim Los Angeles wildfires were started on purpose to make way for SmartLA 2028 agenda

By Malavika Pradeep

A brutal analysis of TikTok’s ‘Dating Wrapped’ trend and gen Z’s obsession with slideshows

By Eliza Frost

Taylor Swift’s Release Party of a Showgirl is coming to cinemas everywhere, and it’s already made $15M

By Eliza Frost

Bad Bunny announced as halftime act for Super Bowl 2026—and conservatives aren’t too happy 

By Eliza Frost

The Summer I Turned Pretty is getting a movie. Could it be here in time for Christmas?

By Eliza Frost

How The Summer I Turned Pretty licensed so much of Taylor Swift’s discography for its soundtrack 

By Eliza Frost

Online pornography showing choking to be made illegal, says government 

By Eliza Frost

Gen Z can’t afford one-night stands as rising cost of living causes sex recession

By Eliza Frost

Renters’ Rights Bill becomes law; this is what it means for you

By Eliza Frost

Did Katy Perry just confirm relationship with ex-Canadian PM Justin Trudeau?

By Eliza Frost

Zohran Mamdani wins New York City mayoral race, and wife Rama Duwaji becomes city’s Gen Z first lady 

By Eliza Frost

Everything to know about Justin Lee Fisher, arrested at Travis Kelce’s home over Taylor Swift deposition papers from Justin Baldoni

By Eliza Frost

What is dry begging? And why is it a relationship red flag?

By Eliza Frost

Is Belly Conklin the problem in The Summer I Turned Pretty?

By Eliza Frost

NHS makes morning-after pill free at 10,000 pharmacies across England

By Eliza Frost

Cruz Beckham’s girlfriend Jackie Apostel defends the couple’s age gap relationship 

By Eliza Frost

Netflix’s Adolescence sweeps Emmys, with star Owen Cooper making history as youngest-ever male winner

By Eliza Frost

Bad Bunny is not touring the US due to fear of ICE raids at concerts

By Eliza Frost

What is Shrekking? The latest toxic dating trend explainedÂ