Bodega Bay's Mermaid Watches 'Her' Fleet

By Rollie Atkinson
From Sonoma West Times and News

Vira Burgerman many years ago traded in her working boots as a deck band on the Sea Angler for a much different set of footwear - a Mermaid's tail.

Just like the original mermaid fables, Vira's self-appointed duty is to watch safely over the Bodega Bay fishermen and their families.

She attends the blessing of the fleet, hosts her own Mermaid festivals and works alongside the fishermen of the Bodega Bay Fishermen's Association when they sell fish from their boats.

"I lost a very close friend when I was working on the boat and I thought it would be more spiritual to be a mermaid and remember all the passed fishermen and never let them be forgotten," says Vira.

"It is very discouraging to be married to a fisherman," she adds. They are always gone, the pay is low and the work is extremely dangerous."

Very few, if any, women work full-time on the local fishing fleet. Jonna Burton, who recently moved inland, was one of the last that Burgerman recalls.

"The way it's supposed to work is the men go to sea while the women go to school or get trained for better work so the husband can get off the boat one day," she tells. "But nowadays, there's little time to go to school because a family needs two full-time incomes."

Burgerman owns two hair salons in Duncans Mills and Bodega Bay. Many of the local fishermen are among her regular customers.

"I remember when the fleet was tied up at The Tides Wharf, I'd hop from boat to boat cutting everyone's hair and we got to the last boat we'd have a barbecue," says Bodega Bay's mermaid.

Festival visitors can spy Vira in her fins in the Sunday boat parade and later wandering (floundering) around the Festival grounds. Children can have their photograph taken with Vira the Mermaid.

"The Festival is good for the community but it really doesn't have that much to do with the fishing profession," adds Vira.

This year's Festival will include some special exhibits about the local fisheries and the fishermen and open boat and dock tours are always popular.

John Burke will be knitting crab pots at the Festival and spinning sea stories as he works.

Party boat master Rick Powers shares some of the same thoughts about the fishermen's plight- While his charter business is mostly visitor or tourist based, he still supports a viable commercial fleet.

"It's (the industry) not growing, but it's still our mainstay," says Powers. , Tourism is important, too. It supports the fishing industry here in many ways. All coastal communities have to encourage some tourism. The future probably will require more and more."

Powers and his wife Sophia have been in Bodega Bay for 16 years. They operate The New Sea Angler, Jaws and The Predator. The local party boat fleet is located at Porto Bodega and includes eight or nine boats that take sportfishermen out to the fishing banks.

Vira the Mermaid enjoys organizing nautical-themed parties for kids and says she's always " recruiting new "Merminnows."

During the summer salmon season, motorists on Highway cast startled looks at the Mermaid as she flags down customers for the local Bodega Bay Fisherman's Association "off-the-boat" fish sales.


For Bookings call:


Neverends (707) 887-1351
Ask for Vira

Or email me at: viraneverends@yahoo.com

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