“Mermaids: The Body Found,” a “documentary” about the possible existence of the mythical beings, is stirring up trouble again. On Sunday night, Discovery Channel re-aired the two hour special, which originally aired on Animal Planet, and the Internet exploded with theories with rumors and theories about whether the sea creatures are real or not.

But it was all just a well-crafted hoax on Discovery’s part. When the special first aired in May, Discovery admitted that they used an actor to “discover” the mermaid body on a Washington state beach.

Even the description should have tipped viewers off that something wasn’t quite right. Discovery’s description of “Mermaids: The Body Found” reads,

“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.”

Not only that, but the press release for the show clearly states that it isn’t a true documentary. It reads,

“MERMAIDS: THE BODY FOUND makes a strong case for the existence of the mermaid, a creature with a surprisingly human evolutionary history, whose ancestral branch splits off from a shared human root. The film is science fiction, using science as a springboard into imagination and centering the story on the following real-world events.”

Apparently that wasn’t enough to stop people from believing that a mermaid body had actually been found, and the U.S. government felt the need to step in and put the rumors to rest. NOAA released a statement earlier this month debunking the theory, saying,

“The belief in mermaids may have arisen at the very dawn of our species. Magical female figures first appear in cave paintings in the late Paleolithic (Stone Age) period some 30,000 years ago, when modern humans gained dominion over the land and, presumably, began to sail the seas… But are mermaids real? No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found.”

And that’s that, because NOAA said so.

‘Mermaids: The Body Found’ Fools Viewers Again is a post from: The Inquisitr

Mermaids do not exist. An Animal Planet documentary got a lot of people talking last night about the possibility of human-like sea creatures, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) wants to make one thing clear: Mermaids do not exist.

NOAA posted a statement on its website today saying that “no evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found,” despite what you may have heard during the “Mermaids: The Body Found” documentary on Animal Planet. 

NOAA writes:

“The belief in mermaids may have arisen at the very dawn of our species. Magical female figures first appear in cave paintings in the late Paleolithic (Stone Age) period some 30,000 years ago, when modern humans gained dominion over the land and, presumably, began to sail the seas. Half-human creatures, called chimeras, also abound in mythology — in addition to mermaids, there were wise centaurs, wild satyrs, and frightful minotaurs, to name but a few. But are mermaids real? No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found.”

“Mermaids: The Body Found,” combined conspiracy theory, ancient mythology, special effects, and awesome re-enactments in order to paint a convincing picture about the existence of mermaids. The filmmakers admitted that the documentary was mainly a work of fiction but apparently the audience wasn’t aware that they were watching a “documentary” based on theory instead of fact.

Discovery reports that one of NOAA’s main goals is public education. So when people start sending the organization questions about mermaids they have to release a statement assuring the public that mermaids are not real. In the past, NOAA has issued statements about other aquatic legends like the Bermuda Triangle and Atlantis.

And now that we have the “official statement” about mermaids out-of-the-way, check out this video of a real life mermaid!

Mermaids Do Not Exist: NOAA Releases Official Statement Denying Evidence Of ‘Aquatic Humanoids’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Do mermaids exist? According to the new Animal Planet documentary, “Mermaids: The Body Found,” maybe.

The new documentary, which aired on Sunday night as part of Animal Planet’s “Monster Week,” pieces together a few interesting facts to come to the improbably conclusion that mermaids, like bigfoot, the chupacabra, and vampires, may exist.

In fact, “Mermaids: The Body Found,” claims that several scientists have proven the existence of mermaids. But thanks to the shady government, the evidence has been hidden or destroyed.

One of the whistle blowing scientists said:

“The feeling was like something out of Orwell. This was Big Brother. They were rewriting history. Basically writing this creature out of existence.”

Charlie Foley, who wrote and directed the film, bases his theory largely on the amount of mermaid references in old sea-tales.

“The seafaring Greeks described (Mermaids). As did the Vikings, as did the Chinese during their greatest period of maritime exploration. They are recorded in medieval manuscripts, and even into the 19th century.”

Foley also says that mermaids may have once been part of the human species. Foley told the NY Post:

“The fact is there are animals that have moved from the land into the sea. Could it have happened to humans? And with aquatic ape theory, if there’s anything to it, what is the logical extension of it if we continued going in that direction. The idea is that people pulled back and we stopped evolving into a marine animal, into an aquatic animal. But what if we kept going? And that to me, knowing that it’s happened before knowing that it’s real science with other animals. Could it have happened with one branch of the human family tree?”

Here’s a clip from “Mermaids: The Body Found,” which allegedly shows a real life mermaid that was discovered by two boys on a beach.

‘Mermaids: The Body Found’ Explores The Possibility Of Real Life Mermaids [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr