While most celebrities opted to share festive family photos on Saturday, Lena Dunham chose something a little different.

The 30-year-old HBO star went topless in a bizarre snap showing her as a mermaid in the sand that she posted to Instagram with a holiday message.

She wrote alongside the image: 'And then she got her holiday wish aka her lifelong wish... we wish you a mermaid Christmas'

'Lifelong wish': Lena Dunham went topless as she transformed into a mermaid for a beach snap she posted on Saturday

The actress wore a shimmering blue tail and appeared to have just been washed ashore with damp locks.

Lena clutched her chest to protect her modesty for the quirky photoshoot.

It seems the Girls producer is enjoying a festive getaway to some exotic location as crystal blue waters could be seen lapping the sand behind her.

Meanwhile, Lena has apologised for her 'distasteful' abortion joke.

Raising eyebrows: The star is no stranger to posting risque shots, like this one of her on the toilet that she shared earlier this month bu then promptly deleted

The Girls star appears to be spending Christmas somewhere tropical. She is pictured last month at an event in LA

During the latest episode of her Women of the Hour podcast, the Girls creator said she had never had an abortion but wished she had.

She wrote on Instagram: 'My latest podcast episode was meant to tell a multifaceted story about reproductive choice in America, to explain the many reasons women do or don't choose to have children and what bodily autonomy really means. I'm so proud of the medley of voices in the episode. I truly hope a distasteful joke on my part won't diminish the amazing work of all the women who participated.

'My words were spoken from a sort of 'delusional girl' persona I often inhabit, a girl who careens between wisdom and ignorance (that's what my TV show is too) and it didn't translate. That's my fault. I would never, ever intentionally trivialize the emotional and physical challenges of terminating a pregnancy. My only goal is to increase awareness and decrease stigma (sic).'