The mermaid community is a place to feel free to be yourself,” says Mermaid Marina Pearl, a 49-year-old Arizona mermaid I meet in a Florida mermaid pod group on Facebook. “Our motto is: ‘You can swim with us.’” Other terms to learn: ‘mer-momma’ (an elder mer who guides other mers), ‘mer-sis’ and ‘mer-bro’ (“We treat each other like family,” explains Ariel Stein, a 35-year-old Orlando, FL mermaid), and ‘Mer-tender’ (a mermaid’s non-mer partner who helps them get dressed and, if needed, carries them to the body of water). In other words, my fiancé, So where will you take your tail? Florida has gorgeous coasts, but its most popular mermaiding spots are its mild, clear springs, like Alexander Springs, Ginnie Springs and Rainbow Springs. Mermaid DD, a 51-year-old mermaid in Miami who performs as the String Siren, points out that while sea swimming is wonderful, “the sand and waves can make it more challenging, and [renting] boats cost money.” Note: not all springs allow tails. Ducharme, 33, tells me that he’s been making tails since he was little using “duct tape and whatever I could find.” These days he uses spandex, water-repellent wetsuit material, or silicone, which he paints by hand.

Get into: mermaiding in Florida… how to swim with the fishes

If you ever wonder what a shark looks like a real up close or a sea turtle, you need to see one. Not in pictures and on cable but real close, like a few centimeters apart. And what better way to experience the sea effect than in an aquarium? If you prefer the odds of living to be 90% in your favor, shy away from the deep dive and get into the feeding program. The aquarium allows guests to feed the sharks, sea turtles, and stingrays, with the experienced attendant answering questions you may have about the animals. Resorts have gone way above with imagination to construct aquariums that are not only magnificent in design but huge in size. Some of these waters show the majestic sea life that you can only find in the deep waters of the sea. Get to see coral reefs, sharks, fish, turtles, and even mermaids. Who would have known that those childhood fairy tales were true! 1. Shark Reef Aquarium, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino Source: @mandalaybayIt contrasts the heated Fahrenheit in the city with the use of air conditioners and water pumps to keep the water at the right temperature as the sea. This is essential for the survival of the more than 2000 animals living there. Restrictions: 13+ age restriction-children who are 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent. Jewelry, bracelets, food, and beverages are not permitted in the aquarium. Wear non-skid shoes. Guests marvel as Ducharme’s mermaids – many of whom, like Ducharme, got their start at Weeki Wachee – swim among fish while wearing silicone Mertailor tails so realistic you’d expect them to feel fishy when touched.

Mermaid Aquarium - Etsy Mermaid Aquarium - Etsy

Related Read: Bass Pro Shop Las Vegas: All You Need to Know 3. The Tank, Golden Nugget Las Vegas Hotel & Casino Source: @goldennuggetlv Las Vegas is home to a lot of things. Entertainment is the capital shareholder of the city and a big attraction to the multitude of visitors coming into the city every day. The hotel industry is one of the biggest on and off the strip, with big resorts like the Wynn and MGM incorporating more than gambling and hotel rooms to keep you and make you a loyalist.We are taught how to slide our monofin into the tail “skin” and do the mermaid swim stroke – a dolphin-like shimmy. Once we’ve gotten the hang of it, she scatters gems into the pool for us to retrieve, then shows us how to blow underwater “mermaid kisses” and turn somersaults. While mermaiding can represent a magical escape, behind it all is a tight-knit community dedicated to marine conservation and free expression. The Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay is the biggest water display park in all of Vegas. Housing 1.6 million gallons of water in a massive glass construct, the aquarium is undoubtedly an impressive work of art in the middle of the desert. I’m not ready for the springs just yet, so I drive to mermaid class, knees shaking. I meet Mermaid Ina and Mermaid Bettina – the latter is a new classmate, who’s just as nervous as I am. But when Mermaid Ina brings out her trunk o’ tails, Mermaid Bettina and I both scream like four-year-olds. My tail is purple; Mermaid Bettina’s is fuchsia.