Page 81 - Q02-2021_Fins-Magazine

Coralia Pearl came to life throughout this journey,
Coralia Pearl is a certified mermaid that loves to share and her landlocked form grew simultaneously in
joy, body positivity, and environmental awareness in ways she could not imagine. She even owns a few
Central Florida. Although environmental conservation Mertailor tails that she swore she would never fit in.
was always a focus, feeling confident with her looks
and size took much longer to develop. In fact, it took a No matter your age, size, what you perceive to be
mermaid tail, some elaborate wigs, blingy accessories, flawed, or the number on a scale, choose to live your
and an over-the-top mersona to bring her to life. dreams out loud! Be genuinely and amazingly you.
Define yourself with adventures and passion, not by
Mermaid dreams were never far from her childhood the opinions of others. Love yourself unconditionally
and were fueled by her passion for manatees and
water. Then, one early morning while launching their and never forget to just dive in.
small bass boat with her husband and daughters, she
saw two of the most magical creatures cresting the
water and slowly coming to the dock of her favorite ABOUT SMOKIE WEST
spring.
@coraliapearl |FB Smokie West | TikTok Coraliapearl
Who might one of those magical creatures have Through my personal and mermaid platform,
been?
I promote conservation, reducing single-use
plastics, am a Mermaid Straws ambassador,
None other than Eric Ducharme, the owner of assist with local animal rescues when on
Mertailor. Seeing the gorgeous tails moving through the water, and rehabilitate injured land
the crystal clear water revived her childhood dream animals. In addition, I have led school-based
to become a mermaid. But, being told that mermaid environmental groups to help clean up
tails were only designed for smaller sizes, she slowly litter in multiple areas throughout the state.
let her dream fade away for a few more years. Finally, I am passionate about preserving
the natural beauty of our springs, rivers, and
With her passion for water never-ending, she was ocean, as well as land areas.
determined to become a certified Scuba diver despite
her size. Scuba and free diving allowed her to explore To pick up a plastic store bag I saw floating
near an area where sea turtles frequented, I
jumped off of a moving boat and was willing
to swim back the 5 miles to shore after the
springs and the ocean, but it never quite quenched captain refused to stop. I am known for going
the ache for a mermaid tail. out of my way to pick up litter or debris while
swimming, diving, kayaking, or boating.
Coralia started her journey in 2014, hiding her
passion for the mermaid life from her friends and When I was six years old, I saw a turtle that
family. Being told “fat people” should not wear two- had been injured from single-use plastic soda
piece bathing suits or participate in any activities can holders and it also had a straw through
that showed their skin, she hid her monofin and its sinus cavity. So I spent the entire summer
bound legs while practicing every time her children volunteering to cut up every plastic soda
decided not to go with her to the river or a friend’s can holder and straw in my grandmother’s
pool. retirement park. My grandfather set up two
buckets for neighbors to drop off their items
In mid-2019, Coralia found two Facebook groups for to be cut up for the safety of our sea life. I
mermaids (Florida Springs Mermaids and Society carried this tradition on for 15 years.
of Fat Mermaids). These two groups helped her
find her voice, her splash, and her first steps to self-
acceptance. She was shocked to find tails that fit
her and slowly began being more open about her
passion.
PHOTOGRAPHERS: BY: Smokie West
November of 2019 brought Coralia Pearl to life. @coraliapearl
She stopped hiding behind the camera and slowly Jasmine Cora TikTok: coraliapearl
allowed her husband and friends to record her @MerLadyJazz @2021 by Smokie West
swimming. She did not focus on her curves, rather Dan Compton
her technique and ways to improve her fluidity. She @DansBeautifulWorld
watched her favorite mermaids glide through the
water and studied their every move so she could Moonspell Photography
practice every free moment. @MoonSpellPhotography

80 fins-magazine.com fins-magazine.com 81