IJuander investigates: Mermaid or manatee?

In their September 3 episode, the alternative myth-busting program “I Juander” looked into the myth of mermaids. These creatures have reportedly been sighted around the world for years.  Early Mesopotamian cultures believed in a goddess named Atargatis, a fish with a human head and arms. The ancient Greeks told stories of the Sirens, malevolent females who lured passing ships to their deaths. In the Philippines, the residents of the town of Atamoan, Quezon have long believed in local folklore about mermaids.  Tourists can even see a statue resembling Denmark's own "Little Mermaid" at the town's beach along Lamon Bay. While descriptions of mermaids have varied over time and across cultures, to date no one has confirmed if they actually exist. In 2009, the British News Agency Sky News reported that the Israeli town of Kiryat Yam even offered a reward of around $1-M to anyone who could provide veritable proof of a mermaid’s existence.

But according to scientists, millennia of sailors’ tales can be explained as a simple misunderstanding. Given the conditions at sea, what those sailors saw might actually have been sea-dwelling mammals called sea cows. Today, the term "sea cow" (aptly classified as order Sirenia) can be used to describe any one of four species of marine mammal—including three different types of manatee (which live in the Atlantic Ocean) and the dugong (found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans). These animals have paddle-like front limbs to steer, while their thick tail is used to propel themselves. “'Yung sirenians ay marine mammals, na tulad ng mga tao, na humihinga sa pamamagitan ng lungs,” said marine mammal scientist Lemnuel Aragones on the show. “Wala siyang hasang gaya ng isda. Pamamagitan noon, kinakailangan silang umakyat sa surface ng tubig at huminga.” Because of their massive bodies--the West Indian manatee, for example, can grow as large as 1500 kg--they live in the water. But sea cows are also surprisingly buoyant, thanks to their layers of blubber and lungs that extend the entire length of their backs. Aragones also explained that sirenians live along coastal areas and feed off underwater vegetation like sea grass. However, their habitats are threatened around the world because of human development, pollution and the occasional collision with a boat. Despite the lack of evidence that mermaids exist, some prefer to keep an open mind. After all, most of the ocean remains unexplored. Somewhere out there, they say, mermaids may really exist. “Yung mga imahe naman kasi ng mermaids, hindi lang biglang maiisip ng tao,” says paranormal field investigator Lawrence Manalo. “Bakit naman dudugtungan ang katawan ng tao ng palikpik?”—Job de Leon/PF, GMA News