Introduction

Italian explorer christopher columbus recorded a sighting of three mermaids sailing near what is now the dominican republic. He had set out from spain six months earlier on his first voyage in search of a western trade route to asia. A fully grown manitee is generally between nine and 12 feet long and weighs anywhere from 400 to 13 hundred pounds. They are nicknamed sea cows because they graze on underwater plants and grasses, although they likely evolve from a common ancestor of elephants, not cattle.