‘Real’ mermaids make a splash in Dutch pools

A majestic turquoise-andgold tail splashes the surface of a public pool. Strange, beautiful creatures frolic in the water, occasionally peeking out from their masks and snorkels. Half-woman, halffish. “It’s amazing,” smiled a starry-eyed Marijke, 27. “It’s every little girl’s dream.” Marijke, Lize and Katja are among the first pupils at Crystal’s Meermin School Nederland. It is billed as the country’s first professional school for mermaids and is only one of a handful in Europe where the phenomenon of ‘mermaiding’ is beginning to make waves after arriving from the US and Canada. 

At the public swimming pool in the central Dutch town of Zeist, the would-be mermaids are learning to swim like Ariel, their legs firmly bound in tight material tails. Daubed in bright aquatic prints to resemble shiny scales, the faux tails take some time to wriggle into before they can slide into the water for some intense underwater aerobics. It’s all in the technique, according to Crystal, real name Marijke Pie, who says “the movement begins from the tummy.” 

Crystal usually teaches wearing just her swimsuit, preferring not to be weighed down by her 15kilo tail. Magical and mysterious, Crystal says she feels free. “I can go where I want. I’m graceful in the water. I feel more beautiful in water. There’s no stress, no pressure and I am away from technology. There’s a real tranquility.” But becoming a mermaid or merman takes weeks, if not months, of training.