What Real Mermaids Would Look Like (Not Like the Movies)

Bright Side

Forget everything those movies told you about mermaids – we're talking about the real deal here. First off, they wouldn't be rocking those shimmering tails or perfect hairdos like in Disney flicks. Nope, real mermaids would probably have more of a fishy vibe, with scales, fins, and maybe even some gills for good measure. And get this – they wouldn't be lounging around on rocks singing love songs either. They'd be out there in the ocean, hunting for food and doing their mermaid thing. So yeah, if you ever stumble upon a real mermaid, don't expect a fairytale ending – it's gonna be more like a wild underwater adventure!  Animation is created by Bright Side. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/   Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV   Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightside  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en   Stock materials (photos, footages and other): https://www.depositphotos.com https://www.shutterstock.com https://www.eastnews.ru ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me

Transcript

00:00 Why can't mermaids be real? Well, firstly, they would freeze and struggle to survive

00:04 in the frigid ocean waters. Brrr! You know, those skinny Disney types would turn into

00:09 icicles! The truth is, the human body isn't built for prolonged aquatic adventures. I

00:15 mean, come on, who wants to hang out in bone-chilling depths? Sure, there are warmer spots near the

00:21 ocean surface, but if mermaids wanted to set up shop at the bottom of the deep blue, things

00:26 would get frosty real quick. Water temperature drops like a pop balloon the deeper you go.

00:33 So what would a cold-resistant mermaid look like? Hairy and big. Imagine a super fuzzy

00:39 aquatic mammal or an extra-plump mermaid rocking the underwater fashion scene. Not exactly

00:44 the image we had in mind, huh? Secondly, they just can't cherry-pick body

00:49 parts like in a mythical buffet. Mammals and fish play by different rules. Fish don't

00:55 have the warm-blooded hairy vibes that define mammals like us. It's like trying to merge

01:01 a human with a fish. Evolutionarily speaking, that's a big no-no. Our human lineage and

01:08 the fish clan took different paths long, long ago. They're distant relatives, like that

01:13 cousin you see at family reunions and awkwardly wave at from a distance. And don't even

01:19 get me started on digestive dilemmas. Fish and mammals have completely different plumbing

01:24 systems. When you imagine a mermaid with a mix of mammalian digestive powers and fishy

01:29 hindquarters, well, things just don't add up.

01:33 Let's dive deeper and separate fact from fishy fiction. If mermaids needed to swim

01:38 up to the surface for a gulp of fresh air, they'd require a blowhole instead of a regular

01:44 nose and mouth. You know, just like our crocodile friends with their handy nostrils. Breathing

01:49 underwater ain't no easy feat, my friends. Now, if mermaids were all about that aquatic

01:54 life, they'd either need gills that they curiously lack, or another clever way to supply

02:00 themselves with oxygen. Marine mammals have evolved anatomies that allow them to survive

02:05 those lengthy oceanic excursions. Human divers, on the other hand, have their lungs shrunk

02:11 in size when they go deeper due to the pressure. Some whale species have special rib cages

02:16 to protect their lungs during such moments. Plus, they've got that fancy myoglobin stuff

02:21 in their muscles and blood, which loves to cozy up with oxygen. Mermaids would need something

02:27 similar in their toolkits.

02:28 Now, let's not forget about those gangly human arms and fingers that serve us so well

02:34 on land. Hello, pizza time! Sadly, in the water realm, they're not ideal. If mermaids

02:41 had been around longer in evolutionary terms, maybe their arms would've undergone some

02:46 serious makeover.

02:48 If mermaids had a lengthier evolutionary history, those arms would need some adjustments, that's

02:53 for sure. Unless, of course, there was a good reason for their existence. Maybe their environment

02:58 would require them to be food-gathering aficionados rather than speedy swimmers. So, you see,

03:06 the mixture of human and marine anatomy may offer the worst of both worlds. The challenges

03:11 remain even if we reverse things, with human legs at the bottom and a fish head on top.

03:16 "Want to kiss the girl?" No. Gills for easy breathing? Handy indeed. Yet what about

03:23 those exposed human parts struggling to withstand the ocean's wintry charms?

03:29 The Fiji mermaid was a curiosity that gained popularity in sideshows during the 19th century.

03:35 It consisted of the torso and head of a juvenile monkey sewn onto the back half of a fish.

03:41 This peculiar object was presented as the mummified body of a creature believed to be

03:46 half mammal and half fish, resembling a mermaid. P.T. Barnum, the renowned showman, acquired

03:52 the mermaid and exhibited it in his American Museum in New York in 1842. The mermaid's

03:59 appearance, described by Barnum himself, departed from traditional depictions of mermaids as

04:04 attractive beings. Instead, it was described as an ugly, dried-up creature frozen in a

04:10 painful-looking pose. It was another hoax promoted in those times. I know, this sort

04:16 of breaks the spell. But if the water is going to get dangerously cold, then realistically,

04:22 mermaids would spend some time fattening up. Basically, they would look like sea lions.

04:27 It all comes down to the freezing temperatures of water at some point. This made me ask,

04:32 what if the ideal place for these ladies was underground caves and arctic waters? Well,

04:38 let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, mermaids discovered a wondrous

04:42 secret in the deep ocean depths, where sunlight could barely reach. In this realm of imagination

04:48 and possibility, they stumbled upon hidden underground springs and caves adorned with

04:54 intricate coral formations. These enchanting locations held a secret that would forever

05:00 change their underwater lives. As the mermaids ventured deeper into the mysterious subterranean

05:06 world, they were mesmerized by the shimmering light refracting through the crystal-clear

05:11 water. But it wasn't just the ethereal beauty that

05:14 captivated them. It was the realization that these hidden springs and caves offered more

05:20 than just aesthetic charm. These subterranean water systems were connected to vast underground

05:25 reservoirs, providing a bountiful source of fresh water. The mermaids reveled in the tranquility

05:31 of this land. The gentle sound of trickling water soothed their spirits, while the soft

05:36 glow from bioluminescent organisms illuminated their path.

05:41 News of the subterranean springs and caves spread among the mermaid community, and soon,

05:47 these sites became cherished gathering places. Mermaids would share stories and songs, their

05:52 melodious voices echoing through the caverns, creating an atmosphere of joy and enchantment.

05:59 There was another place where they could live happily – the icy Arctic and Antarctic regions,

06:04 where frost and snow reigned supreme. In this realm of imagination, the mermaids

06:09 had evolved to thrive in the extreme cold, defying the expectations of the underwater

06:15 world. Their resilience and remarkable abilities allowed them to navigate frozen environments.

06:21 In these frigid waters, the mermaids revealed their wondrous adaptation to the icy domain.

06:27 Their iridescent scales glistened like ice crystals, shimmering with hues of blue and

06:32 silver that mirrored the frozen landscapes around them. They possessed an innate ability

06:37 to regulate their body temperature, enabling them to withstand the biting cold and icy

06:42 currents. To navigate through the frozen terrain, the

06:46 mermaids developed special features. Their tails transformed, bearing a majestic combination

06:52 of sleekness and strength, resembling the magnificent flukes of the Arctic whales. With

06:58 each flick, they propelled themselves effortlessly through the dense icy waters, moving with

07:03 a grace that mesmerized everyone who saw them. Within this frozen wonderland, the mermaids

07:09 found solace and purpose. They became the guardians of these icy realms, nurturing delicate

07:15 ecosystems hidden beneath the frost-covered surface.

07:19 Okay, maybe this story is just one version of how reality could unfold, but we do have

07:25 real-life mermaids in our world. People admire these creatures so much that they create events

07:30 and communities to swim together while wearing costumes.

07:35 In the UK, there is a mesmerizing mermaid who is admired by a lot of people. Her name

07:40 is Hannah Caddick, also known as Mermaid Torva, and her tail showcases the vibrant colors

07:46 of the local sea life. The Portland Week event is organized to raise funds for an environmental

07:51 group, and Hannah, who resides on a nearby houseboat, is part of the growing community

07:56 of mermaids in the UK.

07:59 Like other mermaids, Hannah uses a monofin – a large single flipper that propels her

08:04 through the water. These monofins can be quite expensive, with silicone tails costing over

08:09 £2,000 and often being meticulously handcrafted. So, would you consider getting a tail and

08:16 joining this community, or would you prefer to be a spectator and watch them from the

08:21 shore?

08:22 And here's a short useful fact. Nowadays, when we hear the word "siren", we often

08:27 think of mermaids. But let's not forget that sirens were there to blur the line between

08:32 life and the beyond and to serenade everyone with an utterly irresistible song. While plenty

08:38 of water-dwelling temptresses are out there, the sirens were the real deal. They lured

08:44 sailors. But mermaids aren't the same as them. Mermaids are enchanting and nice creatures.

08:50 And these days, sirens are what you hear when fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars drive

08:55 by on their way to help someone.

08:57 That's it for today, so – hey! – if you pacified your curiosity, then give the

09:02 video a like and share it with your friends! Or, if you want more, just click on these

09:06 videos and stay on the Bright Side!

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