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Travel and Tourism

So you want to be a mermaid?

Ko Im
Special for USA TODAY

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Call it a fin-tastic pool party.

Tail in trunk, Olivia Hammock, 21, and her father Cliff Hammock, 61, drove through flooding in their home state of Missouri to get to North Carolina. Fifteen hours later, they arrived to join over a hundred merfolk and mermaid enthusiasts at the Greensboro Aquatic Center for NC Mermania. The January event, which follows the successful splashes of other mermaid parades, festivals and MerCon, drew participants from as far away as France.

The Hammock father-daughter road trip was unveiled as a surprise Christmas present. Dad came as a curious bystander: “She’s my one and only. It makes her happy.”

“I’ve always been a mermaid at heart,” a seashell-adorned Olivia beamed.

The family-friendly event included a Mermedia 101 panel on how to monetize a mermaid brand, and a “mersquerade” at the Sciquarium. Many attendees connect in online communities and want to meet and swim together in real life. It may have started with a like of a Facebook page a few years ago highlighting “Mermaid Mondays,” as it did for co-organizer “Mermaid Dan,” who works as a distributor in Greensboro. Several of the merfolk, including Martin Manco, 31, a tutor from Philadelphia area, get hooked from childhood inspiration like Hans Christian Andersen’s tale of The Little Mermaid. Visits and mermaid camps at the Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in Florida had a ripple effect on others like 41-year-old Mia Mom, who works in information technology.

“I just wanted to retreat into the fantasy world,” the greater Orlando resident explained. “The mermaid world is great for that. Part of me wants to go underwater and not deal with people. It’s like meditation.”

In this subculture, the young and old adopt nicknames, like Rebecca Woodard, 60, who’s known as “nanna Grandma.” Growing up near Weeki Watchee, she always wanted to be a mermaid. Woodard says following her heart and diving into the mermaid network a few years ago has had a positive effect in other areas of her life. While outsiders may have questioned her aquatic behavior, Woodard has found a growing acceptance of cosplay, even amongst family members.

“I feel like maybe I’m not as shy. I lost a little bit of that shyness and was braver about things. It bled over and doesn’t matter if anyone thinks it’s crazy, but do what you want!,” said Woodard.

Mermaid model/celebrities and environmental advocates like Hannah Mermaid from the United Kingdom were a part of Mermania’s program, which included an impromptu after-hours hotel pool party. While there’s fun in fins, a growing number desire to turn the hobby into a paying gig. Marielle Chartier Henault, 25, runs mermaid fitness classes in six locations in Canada and is looking to expand her offerings. The weekend work trip served as a way for her to gauge interest, and as a getaway for others like 20-year-old student Justin Day to explore opportunities.

“The recent booming and upheaval of mermaid culture and mermaiding as a job has really brought to life my childhood fantasies, and I’d love to be able to live that out in a professional way,” Day dreamed out loud.

“Mermaid Paige of Virginia Beach,” 10, is already swimming in that direction. Her mother, Connie Doerig, helps Paige squeeze into her tail and manages a busy schedule which includes performances at children’s birthday parties. Paige, who has been a fish to water since she was a baby, relishes her opportunity to be a good role model and teach ocean conservation, too.

It’s both lifelong experience and newly discovered dream playing out above the surface.

Fernando Depalm, a professional pirate and fire performer from Puerto Rico who also transforms into “Nando D of the Deep Blue Sea,” 22, wants to add merman to his playful resume.

“I want to bring magic back into people’s lives,” Depalm gabbed as he effortlessly swam across the pool, “that excitement, something new.”

As for Cliff Hammock, who watched his daughter frolic among fellow mermaid friends: “It’s a wonderful memory for me.”

They left for warmer waters in Florida. Weeki Watchee is next on their bucket list.

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