GRAND ISLE, La. -- The castaway mermaid and her sea creature pals seem friendly enough, but no one wants to rescue their shed that's drifted 200 miles (322 kilometres) across the Gulf of Mexico.

The Coast Guard says a tiny floating dock with a painting of a blue-tailed mermaid is considered a derelict vessel after it apparently bobbed from Florida to south of Louisiana.

Petty Officer Brandon Giles says authorities are no longer trying to find the owner and won't tow it to shore.

Petty Officer Travis Magee says several people reported seeing it on Key West, Florida, before it apparently broke loose during a tropical storm.

A Coast Guard release says nobody was aboard.

The landward side features a painting of the mermaid, a sea turtle and an octopus. Above the blue door, a sign appears to include the word "shed."