"Mermaids: The New Evidence" was aired on Animal Planet last Sunday and has since generated much discussion among viewers about whether mermaids are indeed real. According to the producer of the mermaid documentary, "you can believe they are real."

The science fiction mockumentary, "Mermaids: The New Evidence" garnered 3.6 million views and once again sparked an interest among the audience about the mythical creature, mermaids.

The first mermaid documentary, "Mermaids: The Body Found" was extremely successful with 3.4 million viewers watching the show. Foreseeing the potential of mermaid documentaries, the production team of Animal Planet decided to make a sequel as well.

According to Charlie Foley, who is the creator, writer, and executive producer of the mermaid documentary series, "We wanted people to approach the story with a sense of possibility and a sense of wonder. "

Foley further expressed, "Hopefully that's what 'Mermaids' allowed viewers to do...allowed them to suspend their disbelief."

"I think it works because you can believe they are real," said Foley when addressing the tremendous success of the film, "and personally, I don't think there's any story more appealing than a legend that can be believed."

Although the two films produced about mermaids were entirely fictional, many viewers were left to think that they were real, as they often do not pay attention to the credits.

At the end of "Mermaids: the New Evidence," the credits claimed, "Scientific theory, CGI animation and dramatic sequences are used to bring the imaginary creatures and their surroundings to life."

One Youtube user, Jennifer Mast pointed out that the film is indeed fictional, saying, "Listed under the genre, SCI-FI. It is a fake documentary meant for entertainment. Fact. Look it up on IMDB.com. They ARE actors."

In response to the documentary, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has also released an official statement, saying that "no evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found."