Page 6 - Q01-2021 Fins Magazine

by Graceanne Taylor
Editor
Mermaid
to
Swimming as a mermaid was TOTAL MAGIC!
I LOVED swimming with mers from the Arizona
Merpod. Not only were they super encouraging, but
I got to try a lot of fins. I started with the Mahina,
then tried 4 Mertailor fins and finally two Lindens.
When I did venture to adding the tail, I was able to
once again ‘sample’ from my merfriends - a tail from
Shello Mermaid and two from Mertailor.
My abilities and comfort in the tails plus the design
of fins and tails resulted in different swimming
experiences.
Patricia Pastrano | Fins Magazine Editor In Chief: Pat is a photographer, editor and former corporate financial
analyst. Originally from New Mexico, Pat lives in Arizona with her son, boyfriend and three dogs.
2019 with Memories Imagined, her photography business, she is becoming a mermaid and sharing her journey along the way.
6 7
My meet up with members of the Arizona Merpod.
Local mermaid pods are a great resource in your
mermaid journey!
So many tails, so little time!
To find your magical combination of monofin
and tail is expensive. Total cost of the gear on my
two swims? Over $3,000. Given the high cost of
monofins and tails, I highly encourage new mers to
find a merpod to meet up with.
Full of useful tips and sometimes willing to let you
sample different fins and tails, it can help you to get
what works for you cheaper and faster.
Creating a mersona is fun! For me it is a slow process
as I am enjoying every step. I am just beginning and
looking forward to taking time to figure it out.
Starting Fins Magazine in
Mermaids
Environmental
Raise a fin if you love the ocean!
No surprise, most of us become merfolk because
we want to swim with the fish, dive deep in the
ocean, and share our love of the deep sea with
our human friends.
That is why I have started the group Mermaids for
Environmental Education on Facebook! A place
for merfolk to gather to learn more about the
creatures beneath the waves.
During our appearances, children often ask us
questions. In addition, we are inspired by the
beauty the ocean beholds, so we want to share
with others what we know and how to protect it.
Of course, we are the perfect ambassadors as
we are fish that can speak to humans! Let’s not
forget our merfolk that live near freshwater, too.
They similarly have a love and passion for the less
salty creatures.
As performers, we have a unique opportunity to
capture the attention of our audience for more
than just a picture or a hug. We have the chance
to share things we love or feel are important
about the water.
Often merfolk performers use their platforms
to do just this. Speaking out for issues they
feel are important, writing children’s books and
reading them during performances, or installing
knowledge of our ocean in their programs and
training modules for up and coming performers.
However the method, these ideas and more
are great ways to show love for our ocean while
for
Education
helping our human friends learn more. So how
can you get in this stream of mers using their fins
for good?
Join our facebook group for starters! As our first
group initiative, we are working to help bring
awareness to the North Atlantic Right Whale
(NARW). There are less than 400 individuals left
in the wild and their species is in crucial danger
of extinction. In our first group session, we
discussed ways in which we could use our fishy
superpowers to bring education about our whale
friends to our land neighbors!
In upcoming months, we will be bringing you
random facts to tie into your performances, more
knowledgeable speakers to scratch your itch for
ocean facts, and more group initiatives to help
keep our water clean!
It might feel intimidating at first to share
knowledge about the ocean if it isn’t something
you think about on the daily. That is totally OK!
Our goal is to share what we know and build a
community of fish that can speak for our ocean.
After all, there are a ton of things affecting
our seas from plastic pollution, to oil drilling,
overfishing, habitat loss and so much more. So
what are you waiting for?
Swim on over to Facebook and let’s get started!
FB Group: Mermaids for Environmental Education
GRACEANNE TAYLOR | BARNEGATBAYMERMAID.COM
@barnegatbaymermaid
FB: Barnetgatbaymermaid
Graceanne spends her time on land working full
time as an environmental educator at a grassroots
non-profit. She spends much of her time underwater
while serving as the science liaison and divemaster at
a local public safety dive team. Graceanne is Mermaid
Brizo, owner of Barnegat Bay mermaid and founder
of Mermaids for Environmental Education facebook
group. Mermaid Brizo performs regularly at the local
aquarium and other venues along the Jersey Shore.