Across the world, there are thousands of merfolk -- at its simplest, humans of all shapes, genders and backgrounds who enjoy dressing up as mermaids.
Author of the article:
Associated Press
Kristen Gelineau
Published Jun 23, 2022 • 8 minute read
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SYDNEY — There was a pivotal moment in Queen Pangke Tabora’s life that eclipsed all others: It was the moment, she says, when she first slid her legs into a mermaid tail.
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FIN-TASTIC! Growing 'mermaiding' subculture makes a splash Back to video
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For the transgender Filipina woman approaching middle age, seeing her legs encased in vibrant, scaly-looking neoprene three years ago was the realization of a childhood dream. And it marked the beginning of her immersion into a watery world where she would find acceptance. The former insurance company worker described the experience of gliding under water, half-human and half-fish, as “meditation in motion.”

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“The feeling was mermai-zing,” Tabora said one recent morning while lounging in a fiery red tail on a rocky beach south of Manila, where she now teaches mermaiding and freediving full-time. “The world outside is really noisy and you will find peace under water. ⦠It’s a good skill in the real world, especially during the pandemic.”
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Across the world, there are thousands more merfolk like her — at its simplest, humans of all shapes, genders and backgrounds who enjoy dressing up as mermaids. In recent years, a growing number have gleefully flocked to mermaid conventions and competitions, formed local groups called “pods,” launched mermaid magazines and poured their savings into a multimillion-dollar mermaid tail industry.
On a planet plagued by war, disease and social upheaval, many merfolk have found life in the water a refuge. Perhaps Sebastian, the ornery crab in the 1989 film “The Little Mermaid,” said it best in his warning to land-loving mermaid Ariel: “The human world, it’s a mess. Life under the sea is better than anything they got up there!”
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Away from the critics and chaos of life on land, mer-world is the kinder, gentler and more joyful alternative to the real world. It is also a world, merfolk say, where you can be whoever and whatever you want.
That openness attracts some transgender people who empathize with Ariel’s agony of being trapped in a body that feels wrong. It is also inspiring to merfolk like Che Monique, the Washington, D.C.-based founder of the Society of Fat Mermaids, which promotes body-positive mermaiding.
“I’m a 300-pound Black mermaid in America over 35, and hopefully that tells somebody they can do whatever they want to do,” says Monique, whose group sells shirts that read ‘Fat mermaids make waves’ and ‘Gender is fluid under the sea.’ “Sure, on the one hand it is really silly, but I’ve watched it change people’s lives.”
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After all, the ocean is vast, she notes, and most of the planet is covered in water. So why not dive in?
“I think there’s room under the sea for all of us,” Monique says.
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The lure of mermaiding is clear from the Montreal home of Marielle Henault, which is stuffed to the gills with mermaid tails.
They line her clothes rack and drawers, are squeezed into suitcases and drip from plastic storage tubs, ready for sale by the 31-year-old AquaMermaid CEO to “mers” the world over. About 20 tails belong to Henault herself.
“When you put your mermaid tail on at the beach or pool, you become a superstar,” says Henault, whose company runs mermaiding schools across Canada and the United States. “Kids and adults, everybody’s happy to see a mermaid!”
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When mermaiding first started to catch on, most tails for sale were custom-made silicone creations that weigh up to 23 kilograms (50 pounds), cost upwards of $6,000 and take a surprising amount of time and lubricant to wrestle into. But over the past few years, the increasing availability of cheaper, lighter fabric options — some of which sell for less than $100 — has transformed the mermaiding community from an exclusive enclave for privileged professionals into an achievable dream for the wider public.
As mermaiding went mainstream, glamorous photos of mermaids resplendent in glitzy tails began gaining traction on social media, further fuelling mer-mania. An obsession with “The Little Mermaid” is common among merfolk, and there is anticipation of a fresh wave of mermaiding interest when a live action reboot of the film is released next year.
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Swimming in the tails takes practice, and requires a piece of equipment long used by freedivers called a monofin — a single fin into which both feet are inserted. A mermaid’s mastery of the dolphin kick is key, along with equalization techniques to alleviate ear pressure under water.
PADI, SSI and NAUI, the world’s major scuba diving certification organizations, now offer mermaid courses. There’s even a World Mermaid Championship, last held in China in 2019, which featured 70 mermaids flipping and posing in a giant glass tank before a panel of pensive judges.
Henault, who competed at the world championship, hopes to help get mermaiding to the Olympics, potentially as a demonstration sport. Multiple “Merlympics” events have been held in Europe and the U.K. in recent years.
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Last weekend, masses of merfolk swarmed the streets of New York for the annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade. And mermaid conventions (“Mercons”) are now held globally. Last month, more than 300 merfolk from across the U.S. and Canada attended the California Mermaid Convention, which was, as convention co-founder Rachel Smith described it, “a three-day ‘shell-ebration’ of everything mermaid.” It was also, according to fellow co-founder Ashley Rastad, “‘Dolphin-itely’ a good time!” (Note: the mermaid community is awash in puns.)
For most merfolk, it’s all a little tongue-in-cheek. But it’s also enormously meaningful. Floating in the Sacramento pool where fellow attendees of the California convention had gathered, Merman Maui summed up the importance of the community this way: “I have a new family with all these people.”
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“Life is so much better when you learn to have just a little bit of fun, or a lot bit of fun, because we all believe in magic at some point,” Maui says. “A lot of times, life can get pretty dull and boring. So why not just enjoy every aspect of it that you can?”
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Mermaiding can give you the chance to become someone different. But it can also give you the chance to become more like yourself.
Mermaid Nymphia grew up as a male-presenting child of the 1990s, and gender norms dashed her dream of dressing up as her idol, Ariel. Years later, as an adult transgender woman, her dream was finally realized when her mother helped her sew her first mermaid costume.
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Nymphia would later discover a diverse community of like-minded mers online, and, on the suggestion of her mother, turned her lifelong obsession into a profession. The Los Angeles-based Nymphia has since appeared at everything from children’s parties to corporate events, and in 2019 served as a trans merfolk ambassador at the California Mermaid Convention.
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The transformation theme of fish to human in “The Little Mermaid” is inspiring to a subsection of the LGBTQ community, Nymphia says.
“With transgender and nonbinary merfolk, they often connect with that mentality where you’re not quite sure which world you belong in, but you’re able to be this alluring creature of the sea and live as your most authentic self,” Nymphia says. “I know a lot of people who have found their gender identity, myself included, through mermaiding.”
In the Philippines, Tabora also applauds the inclusiveness of the mermaid community.
“You can accommodate young people, straight men and gays, older people,” says Tabora, whose mermaiding school is called DIVERSity by SeaReynang Pengki. “Everyone can be a mermaid!”
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She, too, found a connection between her personal transformation and the mer-world. For her, it is all about evolution — her own, and the ocean’s.
“As transgender, it’s a transition,” Tabora says. “It’s like in the sea, everything evolves. The fish evolve, the coral evolves.”
Dalestair Kidd, whose “mersona” is Mermaid Salacia: South Australia’s Sea Witch, found the mermaiding community reassuringly accepting when Kidd came out as transgender and nonbinary.
“It doesn’t matter who you are, we all share this love of the ocean,” says Kidd, the proud winner of Mercon Australia’s 2017 Miss Congeniality “Sandra Bull-Shark” award. “You can pick a name if your birth name doesn’t suit you. You don’t have to be whatever you were assigned at birth. You can pick your pronouns. … And that’s OK, because fish don’t care about pronouns!”
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Merfolk acknowledge their almost-utopia is occasionally rocked by stormy seas. As mermaiding’s popularity has risen, so too has the prevalence of creeps known as “merverts,” and scam artists who sell non-existent tails, says Kelly Hygema, creator of the Facebook group “Mermaids Beware: Scammers, Merverts, & More.”
“Being mermaids, it’s a predominantly women-dominated hobby and profession… so of course that does attract attention from strangers on the Internet,” says Hygema, who lives on the Caribbean island of St. Thomas. “Most of the time it’s just creepy comments, like they want to see you without the tail on or hold your breath underwater.”
Hygema advises merfolk to always have a trusted companion, or “mertender,” while performing in a tail.
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“With your legs bound, you can’t really run away, so it’s important to have that set of legs there to make sure you’re OK,” she says.
The tails have also raised safety concerns with several consumer groups. A 2018 study of 25 children by the Royal Life Saving Society of Western Australia found that a majority experienced an average decrease in their swimming ability of 70% while using mermaid fins and 60% while using tails. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said it has received three reports of incidents involving mermaid tails over the past four years, the most serious of which resulted in a 5-year-old girl being hospitalized after she tucked her arms inside the tail along with her legs and became trapped underwater.
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All the more reason why proper training is key, says Lauren Metzler, founder of Sydney Mermaids. Metzler received her advanced mermaid certification this month with a goal of teaching rookie merfolk how to avoid sinking to the seabed.
Dawn is nearing in the Sydney beachside suburb of Manly as Metzler strolls down to the harbour and slips into a shimmery pink and turquoise tail. She scoots backward along the sand and into the chilly grey-blue water, drawing a few amused grins from commuters heading toward the nearby ferry to the city.
“Some people have a coffee in the morning to wake up, some people have a mermaid swim,” Metzler says with a laugh as she glides through the water, her skin adorned with sparkly sequins. “This tail is so fun to swim in!”
And at its core, this is what it’s all about for many merfolk: Fun. There is a strong need, especially after COVID-related lockdowns, to simply play and enjoy creativity, Metzler says.
“The more we open up our imagination and accept everyone for how they are, it makes it more of a beautiful experience,” she says. “The sky — or ocean floor — is the limit of what you can do with mermaiding.”
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FAQs
What is the mermaid subculture growing? ›
Across the world, people are increasingly embracing the subculture of "mermaiding." At its simplest, these are humans of all genders, shapes and backgrounds who enjoy dressing up as mermaids.
What is a mermaid lesson? ›This fun activity allows young swimmers to wear a special mermaid tail outfit and learn how to swim like a real life mermaid (or merman!) Our mermaid lessons last 90 mins during which each attendee will be shown how to channel their inner mermaid and become confident at mermaid swimming.
What do mermaids learn in school? ›The Mermaid Schools is where hatchlings go to learn how to master their powers, learn potion-making and swim properly through ocean currents.
How long does it take to get a mermaid tail? ›Professional mermaids normally need 10 minutes to get inside their tail. Putting on your tail takes time and practice. It is not pretty.
Where does The Little Mermaid happen? ›The Little Mermaid action takes place under the sea, in the kingdom of Atlantica that is supposedly located in Denmark, where Hans Christian Andersen is from. This may be true for an original story and in fact there is even a statue of Little Mermaid in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark.
What does the mermaid symbolize in? ›In some cultures, the mermaid signifies life and fertility within the ocean. In others, she embodies the destructive nature of the water, luring sailors to their deaths — serving as an omen for storms, unruly seas and disaster.
What Little mermaid taught us? ›The Little Mermaid
Audiences learn that hard work can help them reach their dreams, but support from loved ones and some self-belief can help them become a reality.
The subversive themes of 'The Little Mermaid'
She feels constrained by her patriarchal mer-society and senses she doesn't belong. She yearns for another world, apart from her own, where she can be free from the limits of her rigid culture and conservative family.
How are mermaids born? Once again, assuming mermaids reproduce the way fish do, mermaid babies would be born by hatching from eggs. Though it is possible for mermaids to get pregnant and give live birth like dolphins.
What causes a mermaid? ›Mermaid syndrome (sirenomelia) is a very rare congenital anomaly that is born with an evolutionary defect in the caudal region with varying degrees of leg adhesion, causing a complete absence of the lower limb with a very similar appearance to the perianal.
What does a mermaid with two tails mean? ›
Pagan or religious cult, a symbol of sin or fertility: there are many stories surrounding this particular representation found in Val d'Orcia.
Why do children love mermaids? ›It's full of mysteries and unique creatures unlike anything we've seen above the surface. Imagining the lives of these mythological creatures gives kids a chance to come up with a magical undersea world. They can imagine swimming with dolphins, befriending fish, and exploring the ocean floor.
What skills do mermaids have? ›Being a magical creature, mermaids are often depicted as having magical powers. Magic powers allow one to manipulate the elements and defy the laws of physics. There are all kinds of magic powers: Mind-reading, flying, invisibility, shapeshifting, controlling nature, and many more.
What were mermaids known for? ›In European folklore, mermaids (sometimes called sirens) and mermen were natural beings who, like fairies, had magical and prophetic powers. They loved music and often sang. Though very long-lived, they were mortal and had no souls. Many folktales record marriages between mermaids (who might assume human form) and men.
What is the rarest mermaid? ›Kelpie. Kelpies is a rare form of Mermaid found in Scottland which can be found in a mixture of fresh and salt water. They are aquatic shapeshifters and can only look semi-human when in their mermaid form.
Are mermaid tails safe for kids? ›Mermaid tails and monofins have become a popular aquatic toy for children and even some adults. However, they can be very dangerous and increase the risk of drowning. They involve placing both feet go into a single fin that looks like a 'mermaid' tail which allows people to swim using a dolphin-like movement.
How does Little Mermaid end? ›Realizing that Ariel truly loves Eric, Triton willingly changes her from a mermaid into a human permanently and approves her marriage to Eric. Ariel and Eric marry on a ship and depart, with all of Ariel's friends and family watching them as well.
Was the original Little Mermaid green? ›In Anderson's telling and the original Disney film, the mermaid possessed white skin. In Disney's upcoming live action version of the story, Ariel will be portrayed by black actress and singer Halle Bailey.
Who is playing Little Mermaid 2023? ›The film stars Halle Bailey in the titular role, alongside Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Noma Dumezweni, Javier Bardem and Melissa McCarthy.
Who saw the first mermaid? ›What did Columbus see off the coast of Africa? On 9 January 1493, Christopher Columbus observed something remarkable off the coast of Africa... mermaids. In his journal he described the encounter with three mermaids that elevated themselves above the suface of the sea.
Who was the first mermaid? ›
The earliest mermaid-like figure was likely the ancient Syrian goddess Atargatis, who watched over the fertility of her people, as well as their general well-being. She, too, was human above the waist and fish below it, and was accordingly associated with water.
What are mermaid spirits? ›In Australia, the Aboriginal people speak of ancient spirits that made the land, trees and animals and that still live in sacred water holes. Some of these spirit beings, called Yawkyawks, look like mermaids: young women with fish tails and long hair resembling strings of seaweed or green algae.
Why The Little Mermaid is inspirational? ›Ariel knows what she wants and she's not afraid to go after it. That kind of attitude is truly inspiring. Although her path takes her through a lot of hardship, and she really has to fight hard to get to the place she longs for, she never gives up.
What is the first Little mermaid called? ›Hans Christian Andersen's original story
First published in 1837, The Little Mermaid was written in Danish and titled Den lille havfrue. The Little Mermaid is a literary fairy tale.
The story follows a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life as a mermaid in exchange for a human soul. The story was first published in 1837 as part of a book of children's fairy stories. In Copenhagen, Denmark, where the story was written and originally published, there is also a statue of the mermaid.
What myth is Little mermaid based on? ›The Disney film is based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, which is inspired by an earlier novella. Even that novella, 'Undine' is thought to have been inspired by the French legend of the mermaid, Melusine. Traditionally these stories would have been told orally, being passed on and changing with each telling.
When was the first mermaid born? ›If we look back at history, we see that the first Mermaids appeared for the first time painted on caves in the late Palaeolithic (Stone Age), about 30,000 years ago, when human beings had a strong control of the land and began to sail the sea.
How long do mermaid babies live? ›Most babies with mermaid syndrome do not survive, living a few days at most. There have been a few cases of surgical separation of the legs. A team of doctors from different specialties will help plan and provide the treatment and care of babies with mermaid syndrome, as well as supporting the family.
Are sirens the same as mermaids? ›'Mermaid' and 'siren' are often used interchangeably, but there is actually a distinction between the two, according to legend and literature. Mermaids are half fish, half women who live in the ocean and are typically harmless. Sirens are like evil mermaids.
What are mermaids behavior? ›Behavior - Most mermaids will transform back into their natural state when the come in contact with water. So they will avoid water at all costs. - The full moon has a huge effect on mermaids. They can become mesmerized and almost put into a trance by the full moon.
What are the symptoms of being a mermaid? ›
Warning symptoms include irritability, thirst, overheating, and dry skin, to name a few. You may be a mermaid if you combat tension and discomfort by frequent dips in the water. Swimming pools, whirlpools, spas, and bathtubs are critical to your sanity and provide much needed relaxation.
What is a reverse mermaid called? ›The Japanese ningyo (人魚, literally "human-fish") has been glossed in a noted dictionary (Kojien) as a "fabulous creature" which is "half woman, half fish", later revised to "half human (usually woman) and half fish". Hence the term ningyo includes not just the mermaid but the merman also.
Is Starbucks a mermaid or siren? ›“It's the siren. She is not a real person, but we kind of think of her as one. She's the biggest symbol of our brand, really, other than our partners (employees). She's the face of it,” Steve Murray said.
What is a mermaid with wings called? ›Mélusine (French: [melyzin]) or Melusina is a figure of European folklore, a female spirit of fresh water in a holy well or river. She is usually depicted as a woman who is a serpent or fish from the waist down (much like a lamia or a mermaid). She is also sometimes illustrated with wings, two tails, or both.
What is the cultural significance of mermaids? ›In some cultures, the mermaid signifies life and fertility within the ocean. In others, she embodies the destructive nature of the water, luring sailors to their deaths — serving as an omen for storms, unruly seas and disaster.
How many people in the world have mermaid syndrome? ›The exact incidence is unknown, but sirenomelia is estimated to occur in approximately 1 in 60,000 to 100,000 births. Sirenomelia occurs with greater frequency in one twin of identical (monozygotic) twins than it does in fraternal (dizygotic) twins or individuals.
How do subcultures grow? ›The way in which subcultures spread will likely take form through centralized diffusion or decentralized diffusion. Centralized diffusion entails governments or corporations, actively promote or impose an idea or product on a less powerful group (Haenfler 2014).
What happens in mermaid syndrome? ›The mermaid syndrome (sirenomelia) is an extremely rare anomaly, an incidence of 1 in 100,000 births, in which a newborn born with legs joined together featuring a mermaid-like appearance (head and trunk like humans and tail like fish), and in most cases die shortly after birth.
What is the deeper meaning of mermaids? ›Mermaids symbolize renewal: Since mermaids are tied to a water element, they embody the revitalization that water brings. Water is vital to life and growth, and it is used in many cultures to symbolize birth and rebirth (for example, with the baptism ritual in Christianity).
What is a male mermaid called? ›A mermaid is a fabled marine creature with the head and upper body of a woman and the tail of a fish. A male mermaid is called a merman.
What are symptoms of mermaid syndrome? ›
- absent tailbone.
- anal atresia.
- foot abnormalities that include the absence of feet or feet rotated outward.
- gastrointestinal abnormalities.
- heart malformations.
- partly or completely missing sacrum.
- spina bifida.
- underdeveloped or absent kidneys.
An en caul birth, also known as a “mermaid birth” or “veiled birth”, is when the baby comes out still inside or partially wrapped in the amniotic sac. This happens in only 1 in 80,000 births, making it extremely rare. It might look like your newborn is completely gift-wrapped in a soft bubble.
How rare is a mermaid birth? ›During a mermaid birth, the baby is delivered in a wrapped in a soft bubble, making it look like a gift wrapping. It is also called veiled birth or en caul birth. As per several experts, this kind of birth takes place only in one in 80,000 times.
What are 3 examples of subculture? ›There are numerous groups of people that could be classified as subcultures, for example: hippies, antigun groups, high school jocks, environmental activists, people in the furry community, people in the cosplay community;,punks, goths, and many more (Lennon, Johnson, & Rudd, 2017, 292).
What are the 3 main subcultures? ›Subcultures include groups that have cultural patterns that set apart some segment of society. Cloward and Ohlin argued that there are three different types of deviant subcultures that young people might enter into: criminal subcultures, conflict subcultures and retreatist subcultures.
What are 3 common characteristics of subcultures? ›Members of subcultures are typically defined by their shared identity, shared meaning, stratification, resistance, and marginalization.
Can babies survive with mermaid syndrome? ›Mermaid syndrome is fatal in most cases due to pulmonary hypoplasia and renal failure resulting from renal agenesis. Half of the children with sirenomelia are born alive and most die within the next five days. Very few cases have been reported where a child with sirenomelia survived.
What is the other name for mermaid syndrome? ›Sirenomelia (mermaid syndrome) is a rare congenital fetal anomaly with characteristic feature of complete or partial fusion of lower limbs. Although, this syndrome is incompatible with life due to the association of several congenital visceral abnormalities; however, there are few reports of surviving infants.