Little Mermaid Ariel may have longed to be part of our world, but not everybody wants to be where the people are.
Some people think it’s better down where it’s wetter – like this woman, who ditched her career as an English teacher to become a full-time professional mermaid in Italy.
Moss Green, 33, is originally from Torquay, Devon but moved to Sicily in 2016 to teach English, and was looking for a new hobby in the pandemic that ‘reminded (her) of home.’
After seeing someone dressed as a ‘magical merman’ coming out of the sea on her local beach, she decided to take up mermaiding.
Moss calls first time she tried mermaiding ‘exhilarating and exciting’, and says the practice – which involves wearing a tail while swimming – helped her feel ‘more in contact with nature and the sea’.
Two years later, the hobby morphed into a job when Moss was offered a role in nearby Lampedusa through Instagram.
To qualify as a professional mermaid, Moss was taught how to hold her breath underwater, dive, and perform tricks.
Despite being on a lower wage than before, she says that she’s ‘happier than ever’ with ‘no regrets’ about the career change.
During the summer months, she works for around 12 hours per day, hosting boat trips and teaching people to swim like the mythical sea creatures.
Talking about her ocean awakening, Moss said: ‘One day, all of a sudden, I saw this magical merman come out of the water, and then he dived in again, but what came out, it wasn’t legs, it was actually a tail.
‘It was really magical to see on the secluded beach – at that moment it became really clear to me that mermaiding was what I wanted as a new hobby – it was a bit different and I could do it alone.’
As her usual pastimes like dancing, game nights and watching live music were off limits during the pandemic, she took to the sea.
The first time she tried it in Scotland was ‘completely freezing,’ but Moss explained: ‘I was so excited that I didn’t even feel how cold the water was compared to the Mediterranean.’
Her love for donning scales continued, before she was offered a job by a fellow mermaid on Instagram.
‘I needed to be able to hold my breath, dive down a certain distance, spin around, swim facing the sky and name different fish,’ said Moss. ‘I can only hold my breath for about a minute at the moment because it’s the start of the summer.’
The mermaids also teach people about the marine wildlife in the area and how to keep the seas and beaches clean.
‘We do plastic collections with the students too so we can teach them about being environmentally friendly,’ added Moss.
According to Moss, the salary she earns now is ‘much lower’ than her teaching wage, but she said: ‘It’s enough to live on, and I’m doing something I love at the end of the day – that’s all that matters at the moment.’
She added: ‘Who knows what could happen in the future – for now, I’m getting my feet in the door of the mermaiding world and it’s an art form so I know it’s not going to pay a lot to begin with.’
Despite her unconventional line of work, Moss says her family ‘almost expected it,’ but that her mum ‘thought it was a bit crazy.’
‘I think she thought it was something I’d do as a hobby for a couple of months, but once a few months turned into a few years, she realised it wasn’t,’ she explained.
‘I keep a tail at her house – I still need to get her into it.’
Moss has eight tails, which have cost her between £20 and £150 each, and brings one with her whenever she’s near water in case she fancies a dip.
She said: ‘I have different coloured tails made from fabric and one silicone tail – those tails aren’t so comfortable to swim in but more for show and they’re very expensive.
‘I love it though because it does a fantastic tail flip when the tail comes out of the water, and I also have a plastic one which is good for diving and exploring the rocks.’
People often stop her for pictures or to ask questions, but Moss says ‘really nice to talk to people’ and loves sharing her passion.
‘I can’t see myself stopping mermaiding any time soon, or having a career change,’ she added. ‘I just absolutely love the freedom of mermaiding.’
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