Cryptozoology: Real and Fake..?

As long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with the unknown. Whether it’s what’s in the depths of space, or at the bottom of the ocean- knowing that there are so many things we DON’T know makes it seem like anything is possible. 

I’ve continued to explore; urban legends, folklore, but was has been among the most fascinating is cryptozoology. According to the Smithsonian, about 18,000 new species are discovered every year. In some cases, creatures from legend have proved to be real- as is the case with the giant squid. 

In March of 1869, Jules Verne began publishing his serialized work “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” in which Captain Nemo steers the submarine The Nautilus encounters a pack of giant squids. For over a century, the idea of a giant squid was just considered a fantasy concocted by the French author. However, in 2004, an almonst complete specimen was found washed up on shore and in 2012 one was filmed for the first time in its natural habitat. 

The largest specimen ever recorded with 74 feet long. When compared to a human, let’s say an average of 6 feet, that is quite a leviathan. 

Not always do the creatures from our imagination turn out to be real, as is the case with mermaids. The idea of a creature half woman half fish dates back to the ancient Syria, about 1000 BC. The goddess of fertility, Atargatis, entered a lake and was then transformed into a mermaid. 

As technology advanced and cross-ocean voyages became more commonplace, reports of mermaids in the open sea grew. Surprisingly, many famous explorers had recorded sightings of mermaids adding credibility to the lore back in those days. 

Feared pirate, Blackbeard, kept a log of his travels and reported of oceans that contained these illusion creatuea and would steer clear of those waters out of fear. 

Even Christopher Columbus has documentation that survives, which includes reports of mermaids on the open seas. 

In this journal entry, Columbus wrote they are “not half as beautiful as they are painted” but they had 

“a human appearance in the face.”
Little did he know, this would become the first written record of manatees in history. Today, we know that most of history’s “mermaid” sightings have been the often shy manatee, also known as the “sea cow.”

However, the idea of mermaids has never left human imagination. 
In 2012, Discovery Networks produced a docufiction film titled “Mermaids: The Body Found.” Not only that, but the campaign surrounding the film was to try and pass it off as real. They went so far as to claim that the government seized the documentary’s website in an effort to keep the truth from coming out. 
I stumbled across this on the Internet back in 2012 and discovered a low quality copy of the documentary in the recesses of the web. Later that day I found out about the promotional scheme behind it, but for about four hours that day, I believed mermaids really did exist.
With so many discoveries being made in the natural world everyday, it’s only a matter of time until the next mythological creature proves to be real. I’ll be constantly checking the science news and blogs, and be on top of the next big discovery… I personally hope it will be dragons!