A closer look

A mix of scurvy, severe dehydration, and sheer delusion can make a sea cow look surprisingly alluring. In 1493, while sailing near what is now the Dominican Republic, Columbus spotted three manatees rising from the water. He wrote in his official journal that he had finally seen the mythical mermaids, noting with heavy disappointment that they 'were not half as beautiful as they are painted' and had distinctly masculine faces.