The Discovery Channel recorded its biggest draw ever with the show “Mermaids: The New Evidence.” Some 3.6 million viewers tuned in to get the inside scoop on the historical legend of the deep. While tales of mermaids have populated historical literature for eons, to date there is no proof that such aquatic beings exist.

Adding to the fantasy of the half-human, half-fish beings is the accompanying conspiracy theory (highlighted by earlier Animal Planet programming on mermaids) that suggests the US government knows of such mermaids, but is concealing the evidence from the public a la Area 51 (much as it is thought the US government is hiding alien life).

From fantasy to a healthy dose of skepticism

For a healthy dose of reality, however, the Animal Planet show, “Mermaids: The New Evidence” highlights findings from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that dispels any comprehensive proof. Even the show’s Creator Charlie Foley admitted that the most common explanation for the sightings of mermaids lies with “sun-strained sailors at sea too long.” It has been suggested that those sailors mistook manatees for mermaids, but according to Foley, “You’d have to have had a lot of grog before you could mistake a manatee for a mermaid.”

Plenty of the show’s most severe critics suggest that Foley and the network have produced what can only be characterized as a “fake documentary.” Said David Shiffman, for example, “It’s completely fake. There are disclaimers in the credits.” Even Discovery, the parent company of Animal Planet, has characterized the show as “science fiction” based on “scientific theory,” according to the Huffington Post.

Why do people want to believe in mermaids?

It’s not surprising that Animal Planet would have a vested interest (think ratings) in promoting this type of programming. However, it is strange that so many people want to believe in the existence of a fictional phenomenon. Or a conspiracy on the part of the government to conceal it.

Even while the Executive Producer of “Mermaids: The New Evidence” told the Mother Nature Network he wanted to make the idea seem real, the NOAA was dispelling it as “just entertainment,” with a disclaimer on its own website that “No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found.”

One can even ask, just where did all these mermaid stories come from? Why have they existed throughout history (from Ancient Greece to the Aboriginal peoples of Australia to their legends as dragons in the Far East)? All NOAA suggests is perhaps kicking the can down the road. They note: “That’s a question best left to historians, philosophers and anthropologists.”