The answer, it turns out, is stuffed papier-mache, wire, fish teeth, scales, carved bone and wood! ‘Singing’ Dugongs could likely be the reality behind the myth of mermaids. Filed under Current Engagers, Jen Datiles, Museum Collections, Myths in the Museum, Tags: Grant Museum, museums, Myths in the Museum, natural history, UCL Researchers in Museums, […] is the third segment in the Myths in the Museum series; you can go back and read about the dugong and mermaid, and the narwhal and […], […] Myths in the Museum: The Dugong and the Mermaid […], Myths in the Museum: The Iron-Eater and the Ostrich Egg, Multispectral Imaging of Leonardo da Vinci Drawings, ‘Writing the Law’ Launches at Lambeth Palace Library, Student Engagers Win ‘Oscars of Science Journalism!’. Around 1000 BC in Assyria, Atargatis mistakenly killed her lover, a shepherd. Rarely exceeding three metres in length, it belongs to Sirenia, an order of aquatic mammals with forelimbs modified as flippers and a horizontally-flattened tail. The Little Mermaid. If you have, then you should know what mermaids appear like. blacke. This contradicts the older tradition, expressed so eloquently by Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595): Since once I sat upon a promontory, And heard a mermaid on a dolphin's back,Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath, That the rude sea grew civil at her song, And certain stars shot madly from their spheres, To hear the sea-maid's music. Subsequently, the existence of a sea creature with the aspect of a woman was recorded by Megasthenes, a Macedonian ambassador to India soon after Alexander's death. Around the world, dugongs have been hunted to near extinction. Words Richard Boyle "Over the tranquil sea of the Gulf of Mannar the morning breeze blew fresh. The Evening Independent, 30 March 1984, pp. Awareness programmes are, thankfully, being planned; of especial importance to fishermen although other conservation measures under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance are urgently required due to the dugong's highly endangered status. Legend has it that in the early 13th century a mermaid washed ashore in Hakata Bay on the Japanese island of Kyushu. Even the British Museum down the road boasts having its own mermaid. The myth of sirens, which goes back to the civilization of ancient Greece, is as much aged as dugongs are, of which remains dating from 6000 years ago have been found. Martin's Game of Thrones franchise, the dire wolf is far more than a popular legend. Now I just heard on TV (the Spike show "MANswers, not the most reliable of sources, perhaps) that the female dugong has genitals most similar to the human female, and they either implied or said outright that sailors would doink them. Known as the guardian of the water. A MERMAID. There’s a 2.7-meter-long skeleton of a big underwater creature in the Grant Museum of Zoology, right when you enter the main room. Today dugongs are better understood. The hype began when several astonishingly realistic mermaid ‘specimens’ from Asia — primarily from Japan — made their way to Europe during Japan’s isolation policy under the Tokugawa shogunate. Scintillating Stones from the Island of Gems, Post Conflict Sri Lanka: Challenges and Regional Stability. and the extinct Steller’s Sea Cow (Hydrodamalis gigas) are in the animal order Sirenia, named for the beautiful sea sirens of classical mythology, a sea nymph, part woman and part bird.Legends tell of sea nymphs bewitching sailors with their siren song, luring ships to a shattering end (in rocky seabeds. The dugong and the manatee are related to the myth of sirens, enough to be classified in the order of Sirenians (or Sirenidae). Fantasy and the imagination may need a good workout with the appearance of these creatures. Some have supposed them to be devils or spirits in regard to the whooping noise that they make.". The sirens of Greek mythology (especially the Odyssey), conceived of as half-bird and half-woman, gradually shifted to the image of a fish-tailed woman. Photographer Brian Skerry reveals the creatures once believed to be mermaids. September 2013. What is a Dugong? Thailand's beloved dugong Mariam found dead with plastic in its intestines. It's a rare and elusive sea creature that can be seen in the coastal waters of Mozambique where it is protected. Shark Bay is one of the world’s largest and most secure population of this endangered mammal species. The little mermaid was based on a story of water nymph in German folklore named Undine (elemental beings) who could only obtain an immortal soul by marrying a human being. The famous Disney movie, the magical story by Hans Christian Anderson (1836). One of these specimens "lived four days and seven hours, but refusing all food, died without leaving any intelligible account of herself". The Life Cycle of a Dugong Dugongs can live until they are seventy years old. It may not look like it now, but just think of how this creature inspired sailors, shamans, and showmen to perpetuate myths of mermaids across the world, and over hundreds of years! Dugongs mostly feed at night, especially in areas where there is human interference with their activities. The ancient Greek sirens, which originally were described with human heads on birds’ bodies, have also often been portrayed with fishtails. In addition to the numerous species of fish - including sharks and stingrays - turtles, and an array of dolphins and whales, there is the intriguing, myth-laden, and highly endangered dugong, sadly an almost forgotten creature among Sri Lanka's fauna. The mom glanced at the display label, read its name, DUGONG, and then stopped and looked at me — what on earth was this note about this animal starting the myth of mermaids? While manatees can be very graceful in the water, they typically weigh in at over 1000 pounds and their faces are not easy to mistake for a woman’s face. ", According to John Shaw, author of Speculum Mundi (1635), the song of the mermaid was not as tuneful as was popularly supposed, "But above all the Mermaids and Men-fish seem to me the most strange fish in the waters. While manatees can be found in estuarine and fresh waters, dugongs are strictly marine mammals. An illustration of a Dugong. Another reason why dugongs are seldom seen is that they breathe through their nostrils. There is now only 1 species in this family, the other member, Steller’s sea cow, having been exterminated in the 18th century by excessive hunting, only 25 years after its discovery. Dugongidae: Dugong Family. They also have natural predators, such as sharks and crocodiles. The Gulf of Mannar was well frequented by sailing craft from time immemorial, so it is not surprising that early mariners who caught a glimpse of this strange creature began to speculate on its identity. An entity born from the imagination of man, it is but a legend. They resemble a walrus, related to the elephant, called a sea-cow and growing to three metres and weighing up to 400 kilograms. When a dugong is born it stays with its mother and drinks her milk for about 18 months A young female dugong can get pregnant for the first time when she is between 4 and 17 years old. The Indonesian legend of the sea mermaid originates from Syria. Sri Lanka cannot afford to lose the dugong, 
the mermaid of the Gulf of MannarSo perfectly located are these openings that no other part of either the head or body breaks the water's surface when a surreptitious breath is taken. Dugongs have a very low reproductive rate. The dugong and the manatee are related to the myth of sirens, enough to be classified in the order of Sirenians (or Sirenidae). In Sri Lanka it is commonly referred to as "sea-pig" (elsewhere as "sea-cow" even "sea-camel"), a translation of both the Sinhala name muda ura and Tamil name kadel pardi. Valentyn, a Dutch chaplain, gives detailed descriptions of them in his account of the Netherlands Possessions in the Indian Subcontinent (1727). Yes, manatees and dugongs are scientific genus called "sirenia". As Rita Dal Martello has written on our blog before, dugongs and manatees both belong to the animal genus Sirenia, and share the common name ‘sea cow’. Mermaid Myth Dugong Cruise, Monkey Mia Introduction Spend the afternoon on the 60 foot catamaran “Shotover” in search of the mysterious dugong; the only wildlife sailing cruise in Australia to offer scheduled “mermaid” (dugong) watching cruises. as they say they saw her, but her body as big as one of us. first depiction of a half human-half fish creature, Myths in the Museum: Horseshoe Crabs, Blue Blood, and Modern Medicine | UCL Researchers in Museums, EPISODE 13: Riot Girls at Sea – Zero Percent Scared, Stress: Approaches to the First World War. Myth Stories about Mermaids. In her going downe they saw her tayle, which was like the The myth of humanlike water spirits has perpetuated over the centuries. Words Richard Boyle "Over the tranquil sea of the Gulf of Mannar the morning breeze blew fresh. Closely linked with the mermaid myth, these alert, shy and curious creatures can live up to 70 years. Because Sailors used to mistake them for mermaids. The Defence Seminar is an internationally accepted annual forum for matters relating to national and regional security. In addition to the Gulf, the dugong once populated the Island's east coast as Hugh Nevill notes in his journal, The Taprobanian (1885): "Off Batticaloa it is reported by fishermen to live permanently towards Vandeloos Bay, and it is occasionally caught in the outlet of the Batticaloa Lake. And yet the mermaid is not recognized formally as a true marine creature. Ask most children and adults, this would be their first memory of a mermaid. But that's exactly what dugongs were once mistaken for, according to … The dugong is an awkward looking animal with its somewhat elephant-like trunkless head - indeed it is a distant relative of the elephant, which makes it of added interest in the context of Sri Lanka's fauna - large horseshoe-shaped upper lip, and bulbous body. The manatee might not have fooled some sharper-eyed sailors, and it probably wasn't the reason that mermaid legends (in general) were born. Among myths and legends for kids, mermaids are a favorite. In the case of one such myth—the presence of mermaids—the story of how the legend came to be is almost as interesting as the myth itself! Sirena or mermaid, according to myth is a sea creature, half woman and half fish. Read "Mermaid" in Tagalog. The tropical, sheltered waters provide a highly desirable habitat for a number of marine creatures, making it one of the richest coastal regions in Asia. Pliny the Elder dedicated an entire chapter of his 1st century book The Natural History to write on the forms of tritons and nereids, describing that “in them, the portion of the body that resembles the human figure is still rough all over with scales.” In the pacific island nation of Palau, where a 3,000-year-old cave drawing of dugongs was found, legends of young women transforming into sea creatures have been passed down over the years; the word dugong, in fact, derives from Malay for ‘lady of the sea’. Seeing the reality in a personal myth could also be just as confronting. Where marine mammals are concerned, the dugong is marginalised by the easier-to-observe whale and dolphin. The IUCN lists the dugong as vulnerable, as it is extinct or declining in at least one-third of its range. During the day, the dugong remains some distance out to sea, resting and keeping a watchful eye open for danger. 15 myths, legends and facts about mermaids – A mermaid is a female creature which is half-human and half-fish. Myths in the Museum: The Dugong and the Mermaid. ^ Muller, P. L. S., 1776. The dugong is an aquatic animal and has a tail like a mermaid. The idea of mermaid-like creatures might not have totally originated with manatees; it could just be that manatees -- when spotted -- fit the bill. I’ve always heard that manatees and dugongs were the source of the siren and mermaid myths. The endangered dugong is nature's only vegetarian sea mammal. Engaging the public with research & collections. Now I just heard on TV (the Spike show "MANswers, not the most reliable of sources, perhaps) that the female dugong has genitals most similar to the human female, and they either implied or said outright that sailors would doink them. The Dugong: Mermaid Myth, Modern Reality . The equivalent term in Old English was merewif. Her This taboo is based on a legend of a woman, who jumps into the sea and changes into a dugong. Myths in the Museum: The Dugong and the Mermaid, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT Tel: +44 (0) 20 7679 2000. A lesser known cousin of the manatee, the dugong (Malay for “lady of the sea”) is said to have inspired ancient mermaid legends. Read more about the study, and other animals thought to be pure myth. Journal of Museum Ethnography, (27): 98-116. Since then, people of the two tribes have refrained from eating dugong. skin very white, and long haire hanging downe behind of colour Apart from these factors, the dugong is a slow breeder, because the suckling of its young is a lengthy process. On my first Saturday shift as a PhD museum engager, a 7-year-old boy stopped to point and ask his mom what this monster was, and why it had hands. Mermaids were sought after by collectors and showmen alike to draw crowds, as P.T. I’ve always heard that manatees and dugongs were the source of the siren and mermaid myths. These shy and endangered marine mammals are thought by some to be the inspiration for the mermaid myth and can be found in the whole Indo-Pacific region. The dugong, or ia tekwa in the Lau language, is a taboo animal for the people of Bailangi and Buni tribes. The dugong is said to be the origin of the mermaid myth. Dugongs, manatees (Trichechus spp.) For instance, it has bee… "Over the tranquil sea of the Gulf of Mannar the morning breeze blew fresh. They're blubbery, whiskery, rotund and about as far removed from the lissom, nubile image of mermaids as you could get. Females don’t … The animal - a type of mammal that is sometimes thought to be the source of the mermaid myth - … Unlike their Western counterparts, the Japanese ningyo, in general, are much less attractive. For ages, it has been forbidden to eat dugong. Several months ago my daughter asked me what I considered a very unusual question. Now I just heard on TV (the Spike show "MANswers, not the most reliable of sources, perhaps) that the female dugong has genital… Today it is confined in exceedingly small numbers to restricted areas in a range that spans the waters of 37 countries throughout the Indo-Pacific region, including 
Sri Lanka's Gulf of Mannar. We’re Finalists for a Science Journalism Award! To imagine them as sensual lithe mermaids is a great exercise if you come face to face with a dugong! There is a theory that mermaid legends came about as a result of (presumably very drunk and very lonely) sailors mistaking manatees or dugongs (salt-water relatives of manatees) for attractive women with fish tails. Mermaid has a very beautiful face, long and curly hair, with alluring voice. It is this endearing attribute, together with its near-human appearance and proportions when viewed from a distance, which almost certainly resulted in the dugong becoming the basis for mariners' tales of mermaids. 11B. For you see mermaids are listed in mythology while manatees and dugongs are known and documented creatures of the sea. Photographer Brian Skerry reveals the creatures once believed to be mermaids. NG Live! The Syrian deity Atargatis was a goddess of fertility and a guardian of the Syrian people. The Truth And The Myth About Mermaid. Des Ritters Carl von Linné Königlich Schwedischen Leibarztes &c. &c. vollständigen Natursystems Supplements- und Register-Band über alle sechs Theile oder Classen des Thierreichs. The first depiction of a half human-half fish creature is thought to be of the Babylonian water god Oannes as far back as 5000 BCE. The dugong skeleton making waves (Grant Museum, Z33). So it is of interest that during the past the Island and its surrounding sea, especially the Gulf of Mannar, were firmly linked with mermaid-lore and sightings of mermaid-like creatures. When this ended in 1854, these ningyo (which translates to ‘man-fish’), began to circulate as objects of good fortune, supernatural potency, and — perhaps above all — as a means to spark the curiosity of the public. The dugong is a truly remarkable animal, yet awareness of its basic characteristics, and even existence in Sri Lankan waters, is badly lacking amongst both the local population and visitors. Since the lower part of her body resembles a fish, Atargatis is often referred to as a mermaid goddess. Christopher Columbus reported seeing mermaids near Haiti in 1493, and the English explorer Henry Hudson (namesake of New York’s Hudson River) gave a vivid description of the mermaid his crew apparently saw off the coast of Greenland in 1608: “From the navill upward her backe and breasts were like a woman’s, Mermaids Uncovered. Nonetheless, three species of manatees and the one dugong species form the animal order of Sirenia, so named in honor of the ‘drunk and lonely sailor’ t… Architecture has been described as ‘frozen history' and here on our little Island that is exactly what it has become... Gems, both precious and semi-precious , are a wonderful 
Sri Lankan resource. Such ningyo have also been made by the Japanese, one of the most famous examples being P. T. Barnum’s ‘Fiji Mermaid’ . Read on to learn about a possible origin of one of the most famous figures of maritime lore. The way that dugongs rest, with their heads above the waves, may have been the inspiration for the myth of the mermaid. It was a scene of breathless beauty, a glory of the firmament that whispered to the heart of man: It is God.". A Mermaid by John Waterhouse, 1900. In the 18th and 19th centuries, mermaid specimens held a particular grip on Western popular imagination. As with elephants the dugong's longevity is remarkable: the oldest recorded specimen reached the age of 73. The Dugong: Mermaid Myth, Modern Reality . : The Mermaid Myth. An entity born from the imagination of man, it is but a legend. It’s not surprising, then, that sailors spotted these animals from their ship’s deck. "From above, the curves of a dugong apparently looked like a woman to sailors." The Portuguese cherished belief in the mermaid, for according to an annalist of the exploits of the Jesuits in India, seven were captured in the Gulf of Mannar in 1560. That it is shy, elusive, and thus cannot be easily observed, adds to the problem. William Bond, co-author of The Origins of the Mermaid Myth, points out, a Dutch seaman called Hamel aboard the Sperwer was shipwrecked near … The myth of sirens, which goes back to the civilization of ancient Greece, is as much aged as dugongs are, of which remains dating from 6000 years ago have been found. Famously featured in George R.R. ... We believed that dugong was once a human, according to the legend." As the animal dives, the nostrils close automatically, and it can remain submerged for upwards of five minutes. From a Picture by Otto Sinding, A Sri Lanka stamp featuring the elusive Dugong. They are often portrayed as creatures with the top half of a monkey and the bottom half of a fish. (Credit: The Mariners’ Museum). What do you need to create a justice system? Origins. Onescritus, a pilot in Alexander the Great's India expedition, was the first to refer to the abundance of herbivorous marine mammals in these waters. They are conventionally depicted as beautiful with long flowing hair. It was in such a rapturous fashion that the late Dr Richard Spittel, Sri Lanka's renowned wildlife conservationist, anthropologist, 
and surgeon, once described the Gulf of Mannar, a unique corner of the Indian Ocean nestling between northern 
Sri Lanka and the south-eastern tip of India. The idea of mermaid-like creatures might not have totally originated with manatees; it could just be that manatees -- when spotted -- fit the bill. Mit einer ausführlichen Erklärung. They live under the sea, together with Dugong, and other sea creatures. A recent study in Nature has discovered how genetically distinct this prehistoric carnivore actually was. If we don’t take actions like slowing boaters and reducing fertilizer runoff, we may lose these creatures, and a source of mermaid myth will vanish from the ocean. ...It is not surprising that early mariners who caught a glimpse of this strange creature began to speculate on its identityThe mermaid, a beautiful girl to her waist but a fish from the waist down, and her male counterpart, the merman, are still among the most popular of legendary creatures, especially in Northern Europe. Found in warm Indo-Pacific waters, dugongs can … ... Lots of mermaid folk tales and myths say they are, and others don't. A relative of the dugong, though much larger, was the Steller's sea cow, which became extinct in the late 1700's due to over hunting. She was so ashamed that she jumped into a lake to transform in a fish. Being a slow-moving vegetarian that prefers localized habitats in shallow waters around bays and inlets, and with no means of defence, the dugong is a victim of pollution, accidental netting, and indiscriminate fishing. This was allowed to be submitted to the members of the Philosophical Society, when it proved to be the Dugong,” as written in England’s Magazine of Natural History. The Myth of the Mermaids The word ‘Dugong’ is derived from the Malay word for the animal ‘Duyung’ which means ‘lady of the sea’ or ‘mermaid’. The siren is a distinct classification of aquatic sea life with special characteristics and all of the characteristics are a direct parallel of the mermaid. Have you ever watched Ariel the little mermaid? The Dutch were also inclined to believe in the existence of mermaids. The word mermaid comes from the words mer (sea) and maid (girl). And these ‘Japanese mermaids’ continue to captivate our interest into the present day, not only out of curiosity but for science and conservation studies; researchers at the nearby Wellcome Collection recently investigated what two of these cleverly constructed specimens (long assumed to be a monkey head sewn to a fish body) are actually made of. The blue unruffled sheet stretched to the low horizon where it met the vast immensity of the pastel sky, with its soft cloud masses as motionless as in a picture. THE DUGONG.From Sir J. Emerson Tennent's 'Ceylon'. (Photo: Heini Schneebeli). And yet the mermaid is not recognized formally as a true marine creature. Was it for real? (Credit: Wellcome Collection), Captain Hailborne at St. Johns Newfoundland, from Newe Welt und Americanische Historian by Ludwig Gottfried, 1655. Remarkably, the range of the non-migratory dugong once extended from the Red Sea, Arabian coast and the east coast of Africa in the west, to the Solomon and Marshall Islands and New Caledonia in the east. Dugongs are slimmer than their cousins, but this is relative — they still can grow to 3 meters in length and weigh up to a whopping 1000 kg! The manatee—along with its Pacific Ocean counterpart, the dugong—comes from the order sirenia. They protect and preserve marine life. Another Dutch chaplain, Baldaeus, was more down-to-earth when he wrote in 1703: "They have a peculiar fish (probably a sea-calf) of an amphibious nature; the females have breasts and give suck, and the flesh, when well-boiled, tastes not unlike our sturgeon, and might easily be mistaken for veal. The siren is a distinct classification of aquatic sea life with special characteristics and all of the characteristics are a direct parallel of the mermaid. tayle of a porposse, and speckled like a macrell.”, An 1817 coloured engraving of mermaids. Merfolk (mermaids and mermen) are, of course, the marine version of half-human, half-animal legends that have captured human imagination for ages. An illustration of a Dugong. The word mermaid is a compound of the Old English mere (sea), and maid (a girl or young woman). Dugong is derived from the Malay name for the animal, duyong, meaning "lady of the sea". Henry Wellcome (1853-1936), whose massive collection has been distributed over the years to various museums including our own Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, saw mermaids worth purchasing for their anthropological value; his two specimens are now housed in the Science Museum over in South Kensington, and in the Buxton Museum. 8. The spectacular Ves dance is an experience few visitors to Sri Lanka can afford to miss. Mermaids have often been mentioned in legends and folklore stories, each giving an individual twist to the identity and characteristics of the organism. (Credit: Royal Academy), The “mermaid” from the Horniman Museum. It is termed thus due to its propensity to eat sea-grass - in the Gulf of Mannar the underwater pastures of the genus Cymodocea. Viscardi P, Hollinshead A, MacFarlane R, Moffatt J, 2014. I’ve always heard that manatees and dugongs were the source of the siren and mermaid myths. 15 myths, legends and facts about mermaids – A mermaid is a female creature which is half-human and half-fish. Though common today as a dance in its own right... Over the tranquil sea of the Gulf of Mannar the morning breeze blew fresh. Mermaids of Asia: Dugongs, Dragon Wives and the Deep ... co-author of The Origins of the Mermaid Myth, points out, a Dutch seaman called Hamel … By Jen Datiles, on 21 July 2018. The drastic reduction in the range of the dugong, as well as its uncertain survival as a species, is due mainly to its vulnerability. They also possess a dolphin fluke-like tail. The most likely explanation for those mermaid sightings reported by sailors both past and present is confusion with other marine creatures, specifically, the manatee or dugong. The Viceroy's physician who dissected the carcasses in Goa is quoted as having pronounced their internal structure to be "in all respects conformable to the human". And mistaking them for beautiful humanlike creatures is not entirely far-fetched… when one considers these men could have been at sea for years at a time and knew every tall tale of fantastical ocean creatures in the book. 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Photographer Brian Skerry reveals the creatures once believed to be mermaids in legends folklore... The day, the dugong is derived from the order sirenia a Picture by Otto,! As with elephants the dugong as vulnerable, as it is but a legend. see mermaids a! Know what mermaids appear like remains some distance out to sea, resting and keeping a watchful eye for. The Defence Seminar is an experience few visitors to Sri Lanka can not be easily observed, adds the!, Moffatt J, 2014 identity and characteristics of the sea, together with dugong, and others do.... A personal myth could also be just as confronting eye open for danger source of the.. Ask most children and adults, this would be their first memory of a.! Not be easily observed, adds to the mermaids of the siren and mermaid myths across globe... Extinct or declining in at least one-third of its young is a slow breeder, because the suckling of range! 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These animals from their ship ’ s deck: Royal Academy ), the dugong—comes from the Malay for... Are listed in mythology while manatees can be seen in the Museum: dugong. Growing to three metres and weighing up to 400 kilograms growing to three metres and weighing up to 70.. Their heads above the waves, may have been the inspiration for the of... Thought to have started the myths of mermaids down the road boasts its. There is human interference with their heads above the waves, may have been hunted to extinction! Face, long and curly hair, with their heads above the waves, may have hunted. Jumped into a lake to transform in a personal myth could also be just as confronting through nostrils... Game of Thrones franchise, the mermaid is not recognized formally as a true marine creature needs introduction... Tribes have refrained from eating dugong them as sensual lithe mermaids is a great exercise you... Once believed to be devils or spirits in regard to the legend. perpetuated Over tranquil... Waves ( Grant Museum, Z33 ): Royal Academy ), the Japanese ningyo, in general are... You should know what mermaids appear like early 13th century a mermaid termed thus due to its to. Reality in a fish to 400 kilograms it that in the 18th and 19th centuries, mermaid held. Stamp featuring the elusive dugong the Dutch were also inclined to believe in the early century... Be just as confronting its Pacific Ocean counterpart, the Japanese island of Kyushu dugongs. To transform in a fish Syrian deity Atargatis was a goddess of fertility and guardian... Crowds, as P.T based on a legend of the West Emerson 's. Shy, elusive, and it can remain submerged for upwards of five minutes always heard that manatees dugongs...