Mermaids, as in “half-human, half-fish” beings, are not real — at least, there’s no credible scientific evidence that they exist.
The idea of mermaids has been around for thousands of years, though, showing up in ancient Assyrian carvings, Greek myths (sirens), and sailors’ tales. Most historians think the legends came from:
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Misidentifications — Early sailors sometimes mistook manatees, dugongs, or seals for mermaids, especially after months at sea (and possibly too much rum).
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Folklore & symbolism — Mermaids often represented beauty, mystery, or danger in the ocean.
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Storytelling — Tales of sea creatures made good warnings or entertainment for coastal communities.
In short — fun myth, rich history, zero verified mermaid selfies.
"What about that documentary that came out about 10 yrs back, seemed pretty real to me"
I think you’re talking about the Animal Planet/Discovery Channel “Mermaids: The Body Found” and its follow-up “Mermaids: The New Evidence” from around 2012–2013.
Those programs were made in a mockumentary style — they were fictional, but shot to look like a real scientific investigation. They used actors playing scientists, CGI “evidence,” and even a fake NOAA press statement. The channels did put small disclaimers in the credits, but many viewers missed them.
Here’s what happened:
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The premise — The shows claimed mermaids were evolutionary “aquatic apes,” presenting doctored photos, videos, and autopsy scenes.
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The impact — Millions of people watched, and search traffic for “are mermaids real” spiked globally. Some viewers thought NOAA was hiding proof.
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The aftermath — NOAA actually had to issue a statement: “No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found.”
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Why it felt convincing — They mixed real ocean facts and genuine science about evolution with staged footage, which made it seem legit.
It’s basically the same trick War of the Worlds radio used in 1938 — blend truth and fiction so tightly that your brain fills in the " it’s real” gap.... Bull 💩!
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