Are Mermaids Real? And What’s With All this Mermaiding?
Monday. July 28, 2025.
Once upon a tide—not too long ago and not too far from your favorite TikTok rabbit hole—humans began to do a very strange thing: they started becoming mermaids.
Yes, mermaiding is real.
It’s not a spell from a Disney movie or the fever dream of a beach-blissed influencer.
It’s a global aquatic subculture where people don shimmering tails, slip into the sea (or a chlorine-scented pool), and swim like they’ve just emerged from a Hans Christian Andersen footnote.
And, no, it’s not just for kids.
The average mermaider might have a day job in HR and a recurring chiropractor appointment—because, let’s face it, swimming in a silicone tail is hell on the lumbar.
But first, let’s address the kelp in the room:
Are Mermaids Real?
Scientifically? No. Existentially? Spiritually? Socially? They’re more real than ever.
From Assyrian goddess Atargatis to the Starbucks logo, mermaids have held a grip on the human imagination that even caffeine can't break. And now, thanks to viral videos and a growing number of professional mermaid schools, they’ve resurfaced in real life—tail and all.
The U.S. even has a handful of certified professional mermaids. (Yes, that’s a job title. No, your career counselor didn’t mention it.) You can hire them for children’s parties, underwater photo shoots, or motivational speaking gigs. Their message? “Be the mermaid you wish to see in the world.”
So, What Is Mermaiding?
Mermaiding is the art (and sometimes sport) of swimming while wearing a mermaid tail. Some do it for exercise—because honestly, it’s one of the best core workouts you’ll ever curse. Others do it for escapism, self-expression, and healing. For many, it’s a body-positive, gender-inclusive fantasy with glittery scales and community support.
In 2021, McCain, Gentile, and Campbell published a study in Psychology of Popular Media showing that fantasy immersion—including cosplay—can serve therapeutic functions. Role-playing identities (even aquatic ones) increases creativity, improves self-image, and reduces psychological distress in both neurotypical and neurodivergent populations.
Liquid Healing: More Than a Trend
Beyond fantasy, mermaiding taps into the deep psychological power of water itself.
Aquatic therapy has long been used for trauma recovery and emotional regulation.
Water offers buoyancy, containment, and a sensory-rich environment that calms the nervous system. In fact, a 2018 review in International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education found that aquatic immersion significantly reduces anxiety and depressive symptoms in children and adults with PTSD and sensory processing disorders (Davenport et al., 2018).
Mermaiding, then, may be functioning as an emergent form of aquatic play therapy for adults. The tail isn’t just costume—it’s a transitional object, a Jungian symbol that allows the wearer to move between worlds and selves.
Myth, Gender, and Becoming Something Else
Carl Jung didn’t have a waterproof GoPro, but he would’ve loved mermaiding.
The mermaid as archetype represents the borderland between wildness and civilization, longing and freedom, beauty and danger. She is transformation embodied—like the psyche, she slips through categories.
Psychologist Stephen Larsen (1990), writing on myth and transformation, notes that archetypes like mermaids allow people to project parts of themselves into symbolic roles. This can be especially potent for those exploring gender fluidity or healing from bodily shame.
And in the ocean, you get to be beautiful without being stared at, wild without being punished, and silent without being ignored.
But… Seriously. Are Mermaids Real?
Yes.
If real means something that lives in the heart, compels creativity, and gets people out of the house to splash around in neoprene while pretending to be part fish—then yes, mermaids are real.
And if you’re thinking of trying it yourself, there are starter tails online, local mermaiding classes popping up from Boston to Bosnia, and a whole splashy, glitter-infused community ready to welcome you with open fins.
So next time someone scoffs and asks, “Are mermaids real?” just smile knowingly and reply:
“Only on Tuesdays and full moons. And then only in the deep end of the YMCA pool.”
Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.
REFERENCES:
Caldwell, C. (2014). Bodyfulness: Somatic practices for presence, empowerment, and waking up in this life. Shambhala Publications.
Davenport, T. E., & Christy, J. B. (2018). The use of aquatic therapy in treatment of trauma and sensory integration disorders: A systematic review. International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education, 10(2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.25035/ijare.10.02.03
Larsen, S. (1990). The mythic imagination: The quest for meaning through personal mythology. Inner Traditions.
McCain, J., Gentile, D., & Campbell, W. K. (2021). Fantasy immersion as psychological nourishment: The benefits of immersive role-play and cosplay. Psychology of Popular Media, 10(2), 218–230. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000284