Mermaid Body Found? US Agency Denies Existence Of Aquatic Humanoids

Mermaid Body Found?

The "Mermaids: The Body Found" special was aired on Discovery Channel last night, confusing more people.

When it first aired on the Animal Planet in May, the science fiction prompted the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)  to release a statement denying the existence of mermaids after receiving calls from viewers who confused the information on the show as facts and wanted to learn more about the creatures.

"Mermaids - those half-human, half-fish sirens of the sea - are legendary sea creatures chronicled in maritime cultures since time immemorial," the agency wrote in a short post on its website's "Ocean Facts" section.

It continued: "But are mermaids real? No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found."

Given the scientific rejection of the existence of mermaids, the NOAA asks, "Why, then, do they occupy the collective unconscious of nearly all seafaring peoples? That’s a question best left to historians, philosophers, and anthropologists."

In describing the show, Discovery says, "What if there's a kernel of truth behind the legend of this mythic creature? Is the idea of mermaids really so far-fetched? Maybe so, maybe not. The show itself, though science fiction, is based on some real events and scientific theory."