A new special on Animal Planet has the internet abuzz as both skeptics and believers alike clamor to give their opinion. The subject? A new documentary that questions whether mermaids might actually exist.

The special, called "Mermaids: The New Evidence," is a follow up to the Animal Planet's popular special "Mermaids: The Body Found," which aired last year. It gathers evidence and interviews from experts in support of the idea that mermaids swim among us. Despite it's spectacular claims, the show was filmed as a serious documentary.

"I think it works because you can believe they are real, and personally, I don't think there's any story more appealing than a legend that can be believed," said Charlie Foley, creator, writer, and executive producer of the series and special.

The new special, which first aired on Sunday, was an instant hit. It drew in roughly 3.6 million viewers, making it the most highly-rated show in the history of the cable network. The special's creator thinks he knows why.

"I suppose the human psyche is fascinated by mermaids because they're an idealized version of ourselves," opines Foley. "The idea of a humanoid creature that lives in the ocean and can breathe underwater. Mermaids belong to a world we know and a world from which we come, but which is now alien to us: That's the world of the oceans, and so we identify with them even as they occupy a place of mystery for us."

Of course, that doesn't mean that the subject matter doesn't come without its fair share of detractors. Skeptics have had a field day with the far-fetched conjectures and suspect videos presented in the documentary. The agency that is perhaps best qualified to speak on the matter simply had this to say:

"Are mermaids real?" the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration queried in an official statement. "No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found."

Despite the likelihood that mermaids are not in fact real, the documentary still brings up other valid points that are relevant to the conversation of our relationship with the sea. A particularly destructive Navy practice was cited at one point, and the facts of that case have been corroborated by other sources.

"And the Navy really has denied conducting deadly sonar tests that have resulted in mass whale die-offs only to later acknowledge that, in fact, they really were conducting and still conduct to this day deadly sonar tests that result in mass whale die-offs," Foley said. "Much of what's in 'Mermaids' is not informed conjecture or made-up story but fact."

Do mermaids actually exist? It's very unlikely. Specials like "Mermaids: The New Evidence" are not designed to give the viewer rock-solid information, however. They are a vehicle to start debate over what is possible and how humans fit into the greater picture. Judging by the speed at which the documentary went viral on sites such a Twitter, at the very least it succeeded in this goal.