Mermaiding has transformed from a whimsical fantasy into a globally successful cottage industry. It has since enchained audiences with pageants, conventions, retreats, and meet-ups. It’s this one-of-a-kind occurrence that has inspired changemakers such as Katrin Gray. Better known as Mermaid Kat, she opened the world’s first mermaid school back in 2012. With over 12,000 students attending her classes and workshops across Germany, Thailand, and Australia, Mermaid Kat has established herself as a pioneer in this vibrant community.
Mongplearn Uttama, aka Mermeow Awn, is a Perth-based mermaid who feels at home underwater. On tough days, she explains, mermaiding became a lifeline. “I lost someone very important to me and I was dealing with depression,” she shared. “I didn’t cry in the water. It’s an odd form of silence, and it dulls your perception. I couldn’t even imagine anything … I just swam away the tears. Once I got my first mermaid tail, my life was never the same.
In the Australian city of Melbourne, Tara Schwarz aka Mermaid Tarielle has made a living performing in shiny tails. Her background as a children’s entertainer allows her to engage young audiences through playful activities like games similar to pass the parcel at birthday parties. “To do this kind of work you need to be training regularly, to work on your lung capacity,” she emphasized.
Mermaid performances are fun and engaging, and they act as an awesome delivery method for ocean conservation messages that we share. Mermaid Kat has done a lot of heavy lifting for the cause. She featured alongside a hammerhead shark in an anti-shark-finning campaign video shot in the Bahamas. She has conducted workshops on underwater makeup at mermaid conventions in Germany. There, she teaches the tricks of the trade behind making beautiful, waterproof looks that hold up.
The mermaiding community is focused on education, inclusivity, collaboration, and safety. Schwarz explained the importance of a skilled safety team for spectacular stunts: “If anything goes wrong, they are able to come in with air no matter where I am or what’s going on.” She said it’s very important to her that she gets support from those who know the technical aspect of free diving at deeper depths.
Mermeow Awn’s international retreats for wannabe full-timers are hot commodities, selling out several months in advance. She added that everyone who is attracted to this universe wants to inject more color and imagination into their lives. “People who want to be mermaids and mermen are people who want to invite more color and fantasy into their lives, and there is often a reason for that,” she said.
The appeal of mermaiding isn’t just about social connection and inclusion. It’s about freedom. Schwarz expressed her feelings when she first dives into a pool: “I feel free.” Underwater is truly magical. Whether leaping through waves or twirling underwater, swimming with a tail adds a graceful elegance to the experience. There’s simply nothing like it! There is the competitive spirit in me – the free diver – that just wants to go further. The cool thing about mermaiding is that you get to do all of that and look incredibly beautiful and graceful while doing it,” she continued.
The journey to becoming an effective mermaid is all about hard work and practice. Schwarz says ongoing training and preparation is necessary, but it means on performance day everything runs seamlessly. “It is a skill in itself to get a full makeup look that not only stays on in the water but pops,” she added.
As each individual takes their personal story and journey to become a mermaid, it is these differences that help the community continue to develop and flourish. Mermaid Kat’s adventure opened up when she moved to Phuket Island, Thailand, and her unique look turned heads from the start. “Phuket is quite a small island and it didn’t take too long for people to notice a crazy girl swimming around in a mermaid tail,” she recounted.
While this magical community grows by leaps and bounds, it’s just as anchored in creativity, collaboration and support. Performers like Mermeow Awn and Schwarz strive not only to entertain but to foster connections among individuals seeking joy through mermaiding.