Overview

For decades, the ""Ri""-the elusive ""mermaid of New Guinea""-was a flashpoint for debate, drawing anthropologists, cryptozoologists, and marine biologists to the remote, biodiverse waters of Papua New Guinea. Indigenous accounts from the Bismarck Sea and New Ireland consistently described a startling creature: a semi-human, air-breathing marine mammal with a fluked tail. This comprehensive report offers the definitive analysis of the Ri phenomenon. By expertly weaving together detailed indigenous mythological frameworks, the tumultuous history of cryptozoological field expeditions (including the failed 1983 quest and the conclusive 1985 photographic resolution), and the science of marine mammalogy, this work reveals the true biological identity behind the legendary creature. Discover how the Indo-Pacific Dugong (Dugong dugon), with its human-like pectoral mammae and fluked tail, became the primary source of the myth. Uncover the complex Barok and Susurunga taxonomies, which classify a healthy dugong as a bo narasi (""pig of the ocean"") but categorize a distressed or emaciated dugong as the mythological Ri. The Ethnozoology of the Ri is a crucial case study on the ""mythifying process."" It is a profound exploration of how cultural ontology, observational bias, and the biological reality of creatures like the Australian snubfin dolphin and cetacean ""globsters"" coalesce to create and sustain one of the world's most enduring cultural enigmas. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in cryptozoology, anthropology, and the vital wisdom contained within Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK).

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