When I first met Mermaid Taurva, it was on a beach clean at Studland and when she introduced herself, it was tough to get my head around what she meant. She didn’t look like the archetypal mermaid, and where was her tail?

I get it that most little girls want to become mermaids at some point in their lives, but for Mermaid Taurva, it has been more than that. It has been an awakening. She told me on the beach that day that she transforms into a mermaid with a magnificent tail that shimmers underwater.

Like mermaids the world over, she carries a strong eco message, hence the reason for her beach cleaning. I was intrigued and had to find out more.

1. Were you born to be mermaid?
I had my Siren re-awakening when I was very young and was completely obsessed with the water. Growing up watching The Little Mermaid and Splash I couldn’t help but feel so drawn to the sea. Like I’d lived there before. I also learned to dance and sing and followed my passion to the West End and toured the world. Unfortunately, I suffered a vocal injury, the pandemic happened and I ended up moving to the coast. It was around this time that I remembered my mermaid self and love of the sea and turned back to the water to recover. Salt water is healing after all and by reconnecting to nature I have finally started to heal myself.

2. How has being a mermaid affected your life?
As we grow into adulthood we forget how to play. Play is so important as it reignites the imagination and helps unblock the flow of creativity. For me performing and being in the water is an expressive art that reconnects me with nature and brings me to the present moment. I’ve also made some incredible friends and found a whole new community that I’m very grateful for. 
Coming up from the sea after a swim I just can’t ignore the plastic pollution, crisp packets, nurdles (pre-produced plastic), discarded bottles, fishing net and line and so many cigarette butts. It can be overwhelming and frustrating at times. Sea creatures and Merfolk need clean and healthy seas and beaches to survive and this has given me a strong desire to make a difference.

3. What sort of difference can you make?
I want to help inspire others to have fun and change little to big habits in daily life to improve our own health and of course environmental health. Since being in Dorset, I became a part of the brilliant Clean Jurassic Coast (CIC) team and as merfolk integrate well with beach cleaning, I felt by getting involved with CJC we could reach an even wider audience.

4. How do you get your message across?
I meet and greet adults and young ‘guppies’ – children keen to find out about mermaiding – and explain to them that animals are our friends and we all share this blue planet. If humans and merfolk come together we can make waves of positive change for us all. When doing events I use eco-friendly, vegan and cruelty free face paints, read stories and talk about why more merfolk are coming on to land. Connecting to humans is mermaizing and yes – mermaids do have their own language. It is reassuring that so many youngsters are clued up about re-using, reducing and recycling and it’s a practice we can all adopt and share with compassion no matter what age.

5. Are mermaids natural underwater swimmers?
All mers are naturally lovers of water, some of you may be wondering why you are so drawn to the sea. Everyone has different buoyancy and abilities. For humans who want to swim with a tail you need to be a strong swimmer. Safety is paramount, this way more fun can be had. You also don’t have to have a tail to be a water dweller.

6. How many mermaids are there in Dorset?
Not enough. We need more mers! So definitely reach out if you are around. I know of only five in Dorset, although there are many mermaids all around the world, especially in America and Australia. Mermaiding does not discriminate and is a safe space for all to express and enjoy the magic of the water.

7. Do you eat fish?
No. To quote a line from Disney’s Finding Nemo: “fish are friends, not food.” I’m vegan so I don’t eat or wear any animals. Animals are full of personality and need protecting!

8. How can people meet mermaids?
More of us are unveiling ourselves and some of us are on social media now. I recently swam in a huge tank and sang at the Fairy Festival in Swanage in front of an audience of thousands of wonderful children. It was a most uplifting experience.  Some merfolk do ‘meet and greets’, ‘wash ups’ on the shore and love attending pool parties. Last week was Portland Week and as well as all the fun and frolics on the water and raising funds and awareness of the issue of plastic pollution in the marine environment, we had a whole programme of events around mermaiding.  We even had a The Fountain of Youth: Mermaids VS Pirates show. We will be back again next year, so keep an eye out on Portland Marina’s website and my mer-Instagram.

9. What happens to your tail when you beach clean?
I’m a selkie mermaid. A selkie mer can come ashore by shedding his or her tail in the water and hiding it in a mermaid cove or sea chest. Without it, we cannot swim as a mer.

10. What tips would you give to aspiring mermaids?
Your mer-journey is your own and it’s important not to compare yourself with another mer. You are mermaizing as you are. Shellabrate how it feels for you. We also have what’s called a ‘mersona’ in nod to our mer-selves when on land. Developing or remembering mer-sonality is fun to discover in itself. To adapt to the water better I strongly recommend free dive training. Breath holds, depth and rescue training are smart and important skills to have. For younger mers who love the water and for parents or guardians who are hesitant, I highly recommend checking out Fin Fun’s website and YouTube channel for their safety videos and what you need to know to get started. Never dive or swim alone and listen to your gut. Like every activity when we understand the risks and take the steps to be safe and confident, the fun is endless.

In summary Mermaid Taurva added that being a mermaid was a healing experience for her voice. She said, “Ironically Ariel came from the sea in exchange for her voice, I went to the sea because I had lost my voice. The longer I am in the sea, the calmer I am. It is a meditative experience and is a dance. Mermaiding is therapeutic. Safety is very important. More and more mermaids are revealing themselves to help beach cleaners and tell people what’s happening in the ocean through the power of mermaiding.

“I am currently creating a film, Sound the Siren, and have a crowdfunder page https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/sound-the-siren.

Mermaid Taurva was featured on the front cover of August Viewpoint. She was photographed at Westival in West Moors with a young fan raising awareness of the extent of plastic pollution in Dorset in partnership with Clean Jurassic Coast.