Mermaid in Kelp Forest

Taking a view of mermaids as if they were real. . . do we know they are not real. . .

Mermaid in Kelp Forest

Kelp Forest photo

So, mermaids are not yet found to be real.  Is this because they know how to hide?  I think that mermaids must live and hide in kelp forests off the coasts of several continents.  There are kelp forests off both coasts of North America.  They are found off the west and Dsouthern coasts of Australia.  Kelp forests are seen off of the northern-east coast of Asia.  They are off almost the entire long west coast of South America and off the south-east coast of that continent as well.  Southern Africa has a kelp forests off the coast.  Western Europe and west of the British Isles also have kelp forests.  

Kelp Forest Map

Kelp forests are sometimes called the forests without trees.  Kelp is full of nutrients.  It is known for looking like a plant, doing photosynthesis like a plant, but being a member of the kingdom called Protista.  Kingdom Protista includes single celled organisms like paramecium and amoeba, but it also includes multicellular organisms like kelp.  Kelp has a root like structure called a hold fast that does just that. . . it holds fast to the sea floor.  Some kelp can grow to be very tall. . . up to 150 feet or about 46 meters tall.   Of course the kelp is in the water.   That is. . . they are that tall from the bottom of the ocean.   The kelp organism has gas filled bulbs to help it float in the water.  

Kelp forests are home to a variety of animals.  This includes  lots of bony fish, cartilaginous fish like sharks and rays, Malacostraca like crabs and shrimp, and several marine mammals like seals and dolphins, There is ample places for the animals to live and hide.  Hence my thought that Mermaids and Mermen live in the kelp forests of the world.  They could eat the very nutritious kelp.  They could even fish or maybe we should say hunt fish, crabs, etc.  I have wondered if a  mermaid or merman would not travel without a trident to defend themselves from predators like the Leopard shark we see in the drawing, but maybe the mer-people have special skills or perhaps an ability to emit a very focused sound from powerful vocal cords that can stun a predator like a shark.  That would explain why the leopard shark is leaving the mermaid alone.   

Dolphin Mother and Calf

Leopard Shark

(This is another type of Leopard Shark)

Mermaid Denverie

I suppose that living near the continents in the kelp forests would make it easy for mermaids to go sunbathe on rocks on the shores of the continents.  That would explain why there IS a legend of mermaids.  

NOTE:  The top drawing of the mermaid is a new drawing.  That drawing will be found at the bottom of the correct list.  The rest of the drawings are from older posts.  Map and photo are from Valorie Lord's blog.  She has a lot more info on Kelp Forests and all things under the sea.   I highly recommend her site:  valorielord.com