6. Manatee or Mermaid?

Mermaid mythology goes all the way back to ancient times and is present in many different cultures. Although we’ll never know for sure the origin of this beloved half-human, half-fish creature, we have some educated guesses. Many historians and researchers think that manatees are the origin of the mermaid myth.  

It may be odd for us to compare the adorable, slow-moving sea creatures with sirens that are often portrayed as sleek and beautiful, but their tails are very similar! In fact, the scientific name for manatees is Animalia Sirenia. It’s a pretty big coincidence that these beloved sea cows have a similar name to the ancient Greek sirens.