They’ve long been fascinating to humans, inspiring tales of mermaids among sailors of yore. But popularity can’t protect manatees from slipping toward extinction. Originally listed as endangered under ...

6. Manatees were once mistaken for mermaids. Early explorers, including Christopher Columbus, claimed to have seen female figures swimming in the ocean (aka mermaids). We now know these encounters ...

While it's impossible to confirm that manatees are responsible for every mermaid "sighting," there's reason to believe they're the most likely culprit. National Geographic describes manatees as ...