[Smugfish]

I saw the picture below; In 1714, sailors claim to have seen mermaids off the coast of Angola. An unknown species of 'giant' otter which reside in kelpie forests during the day and hunt at night? Long hair and rear legs that have merged into a thick tail? It's evolutionary possible. I was on the Vancouver island ferry, looking out around the islands when a respectable middle aged woman asked whether I was "looking for the mermaids?" and then went bright red when I didn't even know the story. It turns out that a whole load of people on the ferry had seen the 'mermaid' sitting on a rock and eating a salmon. I said that surely it was a sea otter (there being some visible on the beaches when docking). She said she had ridden the ferry everyday for 14 years and new the difference. She said it stared right at her. Suddenly she realised what they must have all seen: "a giant otter!". Does anyone else think this is reasonable?

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This post has been edited by Smugfish: 07 November 2009 - 11:35 AM

[Abramelin]

Smugfish, on 07 November 2009 - 11:55 AM, said:

I saw the picture below; In 1714, sailors claim to have seen mermaids off the coast of Angola. An unknown species of 'giant' otter which reside in kelpie forests during the day and hunt at night? Long hair and rear legs that have merged into a thick tail? It's evolutionary possible. I was on the Vancouver island ferry, looking out around the islands when a respectable middle aged woman asked whether I was "looking for the mermaids?" and then went bright red when I didn't even know the story. It turns out that a whole load of people on the ferry had seen the 'mermaid' sitting on a rock and eating a salmon. I said that surely it was a sea otter (there being some visible on the beaches when docking). She said she had ridden the ferry everyday for 14 years and new the difference. She said it stared right at her. Suddenly she realised what they must have all seen: "a giant otter!". Does anyone else think this is reasonable?

There are giant otters alright, but they live in the Amazon basin:

http://en.wikipedia....iki/Giant_Otter

As far as I know they don't go out into the sea (Atlantic).

[Mattshark]

Abramelin, on 07 November 2009 - 01:20 PM, said:

There are giant otters alright, but they live in the Amazon basin:

http://en.wikipedia....iki/Giant_Otter

As far as I know they don't go out into the sea (Atlantic).

They don't no, they are confined to the internal Brazil.

Mermaids are associated with manatee however, which is found on both sides of the Atlantic.

[Abramelin]

Manatees dont look much like women (mermaids) to me, but I dont know how I would feel after months at sea...




.

This post has been edited by Abramelin: 07 November 2009 - 08:07 PM

[Ell]

Smugfish, on 07 November 2009 - 11:55 AM, said:

I saw the picture below;

I dunno. I think that the picture rather reminds me of a local salt water elephant seal, which would be a far better fit than a non-local fresh water giant otter.

[Mattshark]

Ell, on 07 November 2009 - 10:24 PM, said:

I dunno. I think that the picture rather reminds me of a local salt water elephant seal, which would be a far better fit than a non-local fresh water giant otter.

Or a manatee.

[Dr.Sexy]

Mattshark, on 07 November 2009 - 10:49 PM, said:

Or a manatee.

Steller's sea Cows were relegated to the North Pacific coast, so they are unlikely to be responsible for the siting by the sailors near angola.

[Clobhair-cean]

Dr.Sexy, on 08 November 2009 - 12:00 AM, said:

Steller's sea Cows were relegated to the North Pacific coast, so they are unlikely to be responsible for the siting by the sailors near angola.

That's why it's manatees and not Steller's sea cows.

[Dr.Sexy]

Clobhair-cean, on 07 November 2009 - 11:03 PM, said:

That's why it's manatees and not Steller's sea cows.

Manatee's aren't found that far South in Africa and are incapable of survival in the Ocean.

[Mattshark]

Dr.Sexy, on 07 November 2009 - 11:00 PM, said:

Steller's sea Cows were relegated to the North Pacific coast, so they are unlikely to be responsible for the siting by the sailors near angola.

No but the west African manatee is found in western Africa down to Angola

This post has been edited by Mattshark: 07 November 2009 - 11:11 PM

[Ell]

Mattshark, on 07 November 2009 - 11:49 PM, said:

Or a manatee.

Take a close look at the head in that picture. I looks like that of an elephant seal 'en profile' facing to the right. It is presented as an 'en face' creature, but that is an erroneous interpretation in my opinion. One can see the trunk on top right of the head. The mouth is typical of an elephant seal roaring. I think that the line to the left of the mouth is in error; it has been added on - possibly to 'improve' on the picture, or in order to hoax - to transform the 'en profile' head into an 'en face' head.

[Dr.Sexy]

Mattshark, on 07 November 2009 - 11:10 PM, said:

No but the west African manatee is found in western Africa down to Angola

Manatee's aren't generally found south of the Congo river watershed which is in the extreme north of Angola. In the 1700s the area known as Angola was located quite a distance south of the Congo, not to mention that the sailors saw this creature out at sea, while manatee's stick to calm coastal waters and estuaries.

[Ell]

Smugfish, on 07 November 2009 - 11:55 AM, said:

I was on the Vancouver island ferry, looking out around the islands when a respectable middle aged woman asked whether I was "looking for the mermaids?" and then went bright red when I didn't even know the story. It turns out that a whole load of people on the ferry had seen the 'mermaid' sitting on a rock and eating a salmon. I said that surely it was a sea otter (there being some visible on the beaches when docking). She said she had ridden the ferry everyday for 14 years and knew the difference. She said it stared right at her. Suddenly she realised what they must have all seen: "a giant otter!". Does anyone else think this is reasonable?

I dunno that there are giant otter thereabouts. I do know that there are bears thereabouts.

It may have been a giant otter, but I would guess that it was a bear instead.

[Mattshark]

Dr.Sexy, on 07 November 2009 - 11:49 PM, said:

Manatee's aren't generally found south of the Congo river watershed which is in the extreme north of Angola. In the 1700s the area known as Angola was located quite a distance south of the Congo, not to mention that the sailors saw this creature out at sea, while manatee's stick to calm coastal waters and estuaries.

Lost manatee fits better.

[Dr.Sexy]

Mattshark, on 08 November 2009 - 01:17 AM, said:

Lost manatee fits better.

This really depends on the sailors exact location and how far out at sea they were.