Despite decades of differing disputes, this is what I believe science claims versus what people claim about mermaids. The age-old question: are mermaids real? Science claims that mermaid sightings are just misinterpreted typical marine animals. Science claims these sightings “of human-sized marine animals such as manatees and dugongs” (Radford). “These animals have a flat, mermaid-shaped tail and two stubby fins that resemble typical folk legends of the seas. Most sightings were from a distance and "being mostly submerged in water and waves, only certain parts of their bodies were visible". (Radford). In 2009, new reports showed that someone spotted a mermaid off the coast of Israel. It was claimed that this popular creature "performed tricks at sunset for people who observed it for several months." (Radford). These reports were later dismissed as illusions of waves against the sun and/or a hoax to attract tourism. A recent show on Animal Planet called "Mermaids: The Body Found" shows some boys finding a living body of what was said to be a seafaring people, which had washed up with some beached whales. The spectacle was so convincing that the National Oceanic Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) released this video. After receiving enough inquiries (opinions) following the television special, they released a statement in late June. Officially denying the existence of mermaids, or simply denying a government cover-up. Stories about mythical creatures have been used to gain information about what may have sparked belief in these creatures. “A captain off the coast of a newly discovered land describes Captain John Smith seeing a mermaid swimming, with all possible grace. He imagined her with big eyes; Smit...... middle of paper...... explains these characteristics, and that it is an ape to hominid transaction in a non-aquatic environment. (snaps.com). This theory may also explain a scientific claim that infants know how to swim from birth. They automatically know how to hold their breath and move through the water. “This response has been present in terrestrial mammals for centuries.” This theory could also explain why some humans can hold their breath for almost 20 minutes. That's longer than a dolphin can dive. In my conclusion, I believe that the water ape theory appears to be an explanation for the existence of mermaids. Mermaids have been the main mythical creature story for decades. Are the “misinterpreted animals” a scientific way of denying the existence of mermaids, or are they simply to cover up a government secret? Despite scientific claims, in my opinion many people still believe mermaids are real..