‘Yawkyawk’ is a term in the Ndjébana language spoken in Western Arnhem Land by various aboriginal groups. The Yawkyawk bear some resemblance to mermaids. In the mythology of the Ndebana, these female beings are generally associated with sacred sites of essential spiritual importance. In their artistic form, Yawkyawk often have a fish tail. This is why they are often referred to as ngalberddjenj, meaning ‘the young woman with the fish tail’. They may be adorned with long hair reminiscent of the climbing green algae flowers found in freshwater streams and rock pools. At night, they sometimes leave their aquatic habitat to walk on land. The Aborigines believe that all animals were originally human beings. At the time of the creation of landscapes and plants, these ancestors took on animal form as a result of various events that were passed down orally from generation to generation. For example, it is said that an ancestor travelled through Arnhem Land in the form of a human and transformed himself into a Yawkyawk following a number of adventures. Today, the Ndebana believe that the Yawkyawk are still alive and living in freshwater or saltwater reserves in sacred sites.