While the storytelling in was convincing enough to break ratings records, the "evidence" it presented was entirely fictional.
: Characters like Dr. Paul Robertson, portrayed as whistleblowers, were actually played by actors. Mermaids: The New Evidence
: The story was so effective that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was forced to release an official statement clarifying that no evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found . While the storytelling in was convincing enough to
: The show heavily relied on the Aquatic Ape Theory , a real but controversial evolutionary hypothesis, to provide a sense of "intellectual possibility" for the existence of mermaids. portrayed as whistleblowers