Coney Island filled with mer-folk and creatures of all races, genders, and ages on Saturday (6/17) for the 41st annual Mermaid Parade, which took over Surf Avenue and the boardwalk. Thousands of attendees donned sequins, body paint, shells, pasties, scales, flowers, headpieces (and in many cases, very little else) to celebrate creativity, nautical mythology, fertility, the start of summer, and letting one’s freak flag fly. With Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid remake released last month, lots of people took inspiration from there for their outfits, and Avatar was another popular reference point. We also saw a “Wu-Tang Clams” float, and a very cool Ghost-inspired getup. See lots of pictures from the parade (some are NSFW) by Amanda Hatfield below.

Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs Laurie Cumbo served as Queen Mermaid this year, and while Kool Keith had been announced as King Neptune, we didn’t see him riding with her.