On Saturday, the Mermaid Parade celebrated its 25th year. Nathan's hot dogs glistened lustily in the hot sun and much pasty flesh soon became burnt. The chests of a thousand Mermaids, some painted some bare, jiggled and shook as the parade made its way down the boardwalk. For many participants, the parade is the one day when they can let their freak flag fly. That counter guy from your deli? He was there, wearing blue briefs and a cape. The topless ladies came in twos and threes, painted in rich blues and bright reds, like the daughters of Carmen Miranda, Disney's Ariel and Mystique from X-Men. We sent our own personal Scuttle Nikola Tamindzic to investigate. His gallery is here and ours is right here.