In January 1493, Christopher Columbus was exploring in a northwestern area of what is now the Dominican Republic. Suddenly he spotted three large sea creatures moving slowly through the waters of a pristine river. It is thought that he was at the shoreline of what is presently called the Rio Yaque del Norte.
Columbus’ excitement over the sighting moved his chronicler to write that the admiral “said he saw three mermaids . . . they were not as beautiful as they are painted though they had something like the human face.” The writer also said that earlier Columbus had seen “mermaids” off the coast of West Africa.
Common Belief. In those days, sightings of fanciful sea maidens were said to be common among seafarers. A whole array of tales surrounded mermaids.
Mermaids were reported to have magical, prophetic powers and supposedly were long-lived and enjoyed music. For instance, a rock in the Rhine River near Sankt Goarshausen, West Germany, is associated with the legendary mermaid Lorelei, who is supposed to have drowned many unsuspecting sailors because she had an ill-fated romance.
Belief in mermaids was so strong that even as late as the 1800’s people were duped by hoaxes. Where and when mermaid stories got started is shrouded in mystery. They reach back into antiquity and are found in the folklore of almost every country. However, researchers have compared details of the legends with known habits of marine creatures and have concluded that mermaids may be a distortion of encounters between men and a real animal. It is accepted that mermaid sagas are based on superstitious descriptions of the large, jovial mammal, the sea cow.
Indeed, the sea cow does have one human characteristic that qualifies it of sorts as a living mermaid of the sea. Females suckle offspring above water by cradling the young in their forelimbs at breasts located on the chest. Imagine the impression some sailors got seeing from a distance nursing sea cows bobbing vertically in the water holding a young calf to the breast. In their mind, it had to be a mermaid.
Sea cows hardly look like humans. Their bodies are spindle shaped, tapering from small heads to large horizontal flippers. They have thick, grayish skin and square bristly snouts. They may grow seven feet (2.1 m) to 15 feet (4.6 m) in length and weigh as much as 1,500 pounds (680 kg).
Not exactly the profile of a beautiful damsel, is it? However, all the romantic puffery attached to sea cows has led scientists to preserve a bit of the mermaid past by naming the animal order Sirenia. This reflects Grecian mythology of the half-woman, half-bird Sirens that enticed sailors to their death by songs.
Small Family. One would think that with the abundant sightings of sea cows over the years there must be a multitude of them living in the oceans of the earth. That was true in the past. But now the number have diminished
Voracious Eaters. Just about every variety of sea-growing plant can be found on the sea cow’s menu. These strict vegetarians spend at least eight hours daily satisfying their voracious appetite for seaweed, hyacinth, widgeon grass, and leaves and stems of other aquatic plants.
Eating habits of sea cows have been beneficial to man. In southern Florida, manatees have been used to clear weed-choked canals that act as drainage ways. In Guyana, about 70 of these weed mowers recently were brought in to unclog waterways. Officials there figure the manatees saved them thousands of dollars. Then in Xochimilco, Mexico, vegetable farmers faced a crisis when superabundant water lilies affected their irrigation systems. In came four manatees to replace a crew of 300 men.
Reproduction Slow. Sea cows do not always congregate to share a meal. Seeing a large herd could signal that courtship is in progress. Once would-be parents are paired, they move to shallow water for mating. Gestation may take about 150 days. A calf at birth weighs 25 to 60 pounds (11 to 27 kg) and may be the only offspring of the cow for three years. Parents sometimes have twin calves.
Close maternal care and parental cooperation mark the raising of a newborn. For one thing, the calf is born underwater and would quickly drown if not taken immediately to the surface. Upon birth, you can see the mother tenderly pushing or hauling the youngster up for fresh air.
Out in the wild, calves stay with their mothers for about two years, being weaned finally when they weigh about 400 pounds (181 kg). Then off they swim to divide their time between eating and playing with other herds or just to explore alone. they are harmless so do not be afraid when you are in their company.
True, manatees may not fit the image of legendary mermaid beauties envisioned by ancient mariners or artists. But these uniquely designed creatures do fit a role of bringing delight to humans who are fortunate enough to see these living “mermaids” of the sea.
