Magic meet of mermaids in the bay

Mythical creatures made a splash in Geographe Bay at the weekend as Australia’s first-ever mermaid convention descended on Busselton.

Some 20 mermaids from right across Australia, their human-minders and local adoring fans converged at the Busselton Jetty on November 25 during MerCon 2016.

Co-organiser Fifi Fogg, of Busselton Mermaids, told theTimes the event was the first of its kind in Australia.

“The mermaids all stay in touch online but some of us had never actually met before ... so I got in touch with the Perth mermaids and we made it happen,” she said.

“We thought it was a good opportunity to meet friends and like-minded people.”

Fogg operates Busselton Mermaids as a business, which helps people transforms into a mermaid for a day, and — like many of the attendees — swims as a mermaid for fun. “It’s amazing to see people’s faces light up when they’re all made up and get to have a splash, but I swim as one too; it’s a very freeing, special experience,” she said.

Perth Mermaids co-founder Amelia Lassetter agreed there was “something magical” about becoming a mermaid.

Lassetter and business partner Jessica Bell perform regularly at AQWA in Perth, and other events and festivals throughout the State.

But despite the mythical creature’s enduring popularity, mermaids are becoming an endangered species with many Australian swimming venues enacting bans due to safety concerns.

While a nurse was on standby at Mercon, theTimes understands he was not called into action.

Lassetter said all mermaids present were experienced swimmers and most had free-dive training.

One of the event’s attendees, Katrin Felton, also highlighted the importance of safety in the water.

The former Miss Germany is a scuba and free-dive instructor, underwater fashion model and stunt woman, and founder of the Mermaid Kat Academy.

“When I was about five, I wanted to be a mermaid so bad, so I asked my dad to make me a tail, but he told me I would drown if I tried to swim with my legs tied together,” she said.

“A lot has changed since then.”

The Mermaid Kat Academy has branches in Perth and overseas, and teaches underwater skills and safety techniques to would-be mermaids.

Felton also designs, manufactures and distributes her own tails.

Lassetter said a lot of mermaids custom-made their own tails, seeing it as an opportunity to build their mermaid persona.

“A lot of us are actors and dancers and performers, and lots of us make our own tails so there’s a real artistic side to it too,” she said.

The mermaids hope MerCon will become an annual event.