Page 74 - Q02-2021_Fins-Magazine

FLOWER IN

THE DESERT

BY: PATRICIA PASTRANO ©2021 BY PATRICIA PASTRANO
PHOTOGRAPHER: PATRICIA PASTRANO @memoriesimagined | fb memoriesimaginedaz
PHOTOGRAPHER: RON MCGEE @ramvisions | fb ram photographics
If a flower can flourish
in the desert, you can Today, as the Silverton’s Dive Safety
“flourish anywhere.” — Officer (DSO), Kristin is responsible for
dive related activity and administers
Matshona Dhliwayo the diving safety program. In this role,
she manages the safety divers and
Like a flower flourishing in the desert, mermaids, runs rescue trainings and
Kristin Janise is pursuing her love maintains all the equipment. She gets
of water and animals in the world’s involved with the biologists as well as
entertainment capital of Las Vegas, NV. dives when needed, as either a safety
As head of the world famous Silverton diver or a mermaid. It is a role that allows
Mermaids at the Silverton Hotel and her do indulge in her passions: marine
Casino, she is able to “work” doing what biology and diving.
she loves with marine life, diving and
mermaiding every day! Demonstrating her passion for lifelong
learning and its importance, Kristin
Loving water all her life, Kristin was born is also a volunteer on Search and
and raised in Las Vegas, NV. After high Rescue Dive team with the local police
school she relocated to South Carolina department. With an audition process
and Coastal Carolina University where testing their physical abilities and scuba
she graduated magna cum laude with skills, she is now trained in areas such as:
a degree in marine science. During crime scene evidence, vehicle recovery,
college she started working at Ripley’s body recovery, underwater metal
Aquarium in South Carolina as a show detection and public safety diving.
diver. She became one of their original
mermaids when the program was Kristin is a PADI MSDT Instructor, runs
rolled out, after seeing the popularity a dive club called LV Dive Adventures
when the mermaid performers from and just added mermaid certification
Weeki Wachi Springs FL had visited the to her PADI resume. Being able to teach
aquarium. mermaids and mermaid instructors for
PADI and finalizing her SSI mermaid
In 2013, combining all of her education certifications, Kristin is looking
and passions for the marine world, forward to all of the new opportunities
Kristin was able to move back to Las swimming in, because the mermaid
Vegas as a biologist for the aquarium industry is growing fast!
at the Silverton Hotel & Casino. With
the required degree, she became With a trip for her dive club booked in
experienced in all the aspects of running November, Bahamas – All About Sharks!,
an aquarium. Because Silverton is a Kristin got giddy describing what they
smaller aquarium, she was able to gain were going to be doing on the trip. The
expertise in water quality and chemistry, trip boasts eight reef dives, a Caribbean
animal diets and medications, feeding reef shark dive and Tiger Beach to dive
shows, animal training and aquarium with Tiger Sharks!
maintenance.

74 fins-magazine.com fins-magazine.com 75