Th e little Belgian mermaids

Once a niche activity, the mermaid phenomenon has finally washed into Belgium, and it’s making more of a splash than you probably realise

Words Vicky Lane Photography Tim E White

40 OCTOBER 2017 BELGIUM

OCTOBER 2017 41 BELGIUM

Mer-talk “Call me on my shellphone?”

A way to enquire whether you’ll be phoning later

on Disney’s flame-haired siren protagonist in The Little Mermaid. “It was only after seeing the video that I realised being a professional mermaid was actually a thing,” she explains. “Overnight, I decided I was going to be one, too.” Fast-forward 12 years and the now 28-year-old Van de Voorde, or Mermaid Celine, as she’s better known, has done just that. After a lot of online research, the purchase of a monofin and four years designing, making and perfecting her first neoprene tail (since upgraded to a stunning gold and pink sequined one with the “biggest fin in the mermaiding world”), the Belgian splashed into the water, and has barely surfaced since. Helped by a Facebook page advertising her new underwater credentials, Mermaid Celine scored her first professional job at the age of 20 – starring in a video for Copenhagen’s Congress. She has since worked stints ranging from Belgian fantasy festival Elftopia to corporate events to a regular gig at Kokorico nightclub in Zomergem near Ghent, swimming for hours in the ceiling tank above the dancefloor. Previous page: Mermaid Lelie t was late one night, while sitting “As far as I know, I am the first professional mermaid in and Mermaid Celine take in Ghent’s beautiful scenery in her bedroom clicking through Belgium,” she grins with water droplets on her shimmering Above: Mermaids must take videos on YouTube, that a face, which is expertly painted with the same waterproof good care of their hair 16-year-old Celine Van de Voorde make-up used by competitive synchronised swimmers. We’re I discovered something life- in the pool of TODI Dive School (todi.be) in Beringen ‒ an hour changing: Hannah Mermaid. east of Brussels ‒ where Van de Voorde has agreed to give “I saw this incredible mermaid me a lesson in mermaiding. The incredible venue – which swimming with a beautiful, opened late last year as part of an extensive, tourism-driven homemade tail in the ocean alongside whales and turtles renovation of the former BE-Mine mining site it stands upon and just thought ‘wow’,” reveals the Belgian from Ghent. – is the only subtropical aquarium, scuba diving and Hannah Mermaid, a few Google searches later revealed, snorkelling centre in Europe. Home to almost 2,500 fish that was an Australian ocean ecology activist and one of the swim in the 6.5million litres of fresh water filling the huge world’s first professional mermaids. Van de Voorde ‒ “like tank – along with decorative elements such as caves, car everyone who takes up mermaiding” ‒ had been obsessed wrecks and ancient ruins – it’s attracted more than 90,000

with the mythical creatures from the moment she’d set eyes visitors in its first nine months of opening. But it’s not just GHENT HAIR & BEAUTY, JAY’Z TO THANKS WITH

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the site’s state-of-the-art diving facilities and lifelike underwater setting that they come for. It’s also the only venue in Belgium with resident mermaids. It turns out, Van de Voorde isn’t the only Belgian making a living out of being half-human-half-fish. Mermaids Evi, Lelie, Naomi and Ariel Starfish also work regularly at the venue alongside her. While you may get lucky and spot them on the odd occasions the mermaids pop by for a dip ‒ their colourful tails sparkling through the water’s haze as they play in the depths with the grace of a dolphin ‒ you’re guaranteed a sighting on ‘Mermaid Mondays’. Running the third Monday of every month, it starts with a mermaid meet and greet in the venue’s stylish brasserie at 6.30pm, followed by a group synchronised performance in the water that’s watched, filmed and photographed by hundreds of delighted humans from the underwater viewing gallery. “People’s faces instantly light up when they see us, and children believe we’re real,” says Van de Voorde. “It’s a really magical feeling.” Afterwards, the spectators can join the sirens in the water; snorkelling for €15 or scuba diving for €37. On other days, you can book a two-hour ‘mermaid initiation course’ for €69, where you’ll be provided with a monofin and fabric training tail to swim alongside a mermaid instructor. While Mermaid Celine is only aware of 20 other ‘official’ mermaids in Belgium, including her TODI mer-buddies, she believes this is increasing. Of course, there are many more people who, like I’m doing today, partake in the discipline for fun, with it widely agreed that mermaiding is quickly changing from niche hobby to a widespread, trendy activity. “Mermaiding is much better known these days,” agrees Evelien Peeters ‒ or Mermaid Evi. “In the beginning, family and friends thought I was crazy for doing it. Now, when they see how much fun I’m having, they’re like, how do I do this?” It’s also part of a bigger, worldwide phenomenon which –

like all trends these days – is being fuelled by social media. Mernetwork.com, the main online community for ‘merfolk’, estimates the number of mermaids across the world to Mer-talk now be in the thousands, with around 1,000 working professionally in America alone. “People are attracted to “Th ere’s a million swimming in mermaid costumes for many reasons, but fish in the basically they all boil down to wish fulfillment,” the website sea — but I’m explains. “Whether you fantasise about being some sort of a mermaid” legendary creature, or out of a love for the ocean, wearing a Way to boost self-esteem, costume is a way to live out such fantasies.” reminder of uniqueness Placed somewhere between synchronised swimming, freediving and amateur dramatics, escapism is a further attraction of mermaiding. “Being a mermaid is soothing for the soul,” agrees Lieke Knoops, aka Mermaid Lelie. “You’re

44 OCTOBER 2017 There are more mermaids than you think: you could be sitting next to one right now

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“It’s soothing for the soul... a dream come true”

making dreams come true: both your own childhood fantasy and for those watching. I feel I take on a different persona as Mermaid Lelie ‒ one that is more confident and bubbly ‒ and am able to forget about daily stresses.” Reports also suggest the activity helps to manage depression and autism, benefits self-confidence and is just a great way to stay fit. “It’s not easy!” agrees Mermaid Celine. “It’s like dancing; you need core strength, skill and technique to look believable under the water. You also have to be able to deal with extreme conditions – like if the water is cold. I’ve contracted hyperthermia during performances before, suffer cramps and sore eyes from the chlorine – so it’s not all glamorous!” Still, the benefits far outweigh the challenges, as Julia Sardella has discovered. A former synchronised swimmer and performer for Cirque du Soleil, she founded France’s first mermaid school Sirenes by Perle Events in 2015 in her home- city of Marseille. “I’ve already taught over 1,000 people to be mermaids,” she reveals. “We get a lot of tourists from Belgium, London, Italy ‒ plus local people.” Sardella, who is also a pilates instructor, is passionate about teaching the discipline as an artistic sport. “It’s a workout,” she confirms. “You have to learn breathing techniques and train your body to work in the right way.” The school has been so successful, Sardella is now opening a series of them across France. It’s a good example of the business opportunities that have further surfaced through mermaiding. Many other

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Mer-talk “Th at’s mermazing!” High praise: a way to say something is really good A mer-meet: like all mermaids, Mermaid Celine and Mermaid Evi love to socialise

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Mermaid Celine and Mermaid Evi relax back at home after a long day of mermaiding

Mer-talk “Sea you later”

An invite to reconvene at a later time or date

Barcelona), Manchester, Toronto and New York, to name a few. Companies now specialise in mermaid gear: tops, beauty products, accessories and, of course, tails – which cost between €1,000-€5,000 and, for leading makers such as Merbella Studios, have a waiting time of up to three years. There are even mer-conventions – the biggest is in America. And the mermaid craze is only going to get bigger in Belgium if the TODI mermaids have anything to do with it. A few of them are in talks with the dive centre’s owners to open Belgium’s first official mermaid school there, while Belgium’s first mermaid convention runs at TODI from 28-29 April 2018 (facebook.com/MermatesEU). Mermaid Evi even dreams of one day opening a Belgian ‘dive bar’, where punters would enjoy their drinks next to a ‘mermaid aquarium’. “I just need to meet a very rich person to fund it!” she laughs. So is all the fuss justified? As I finally gather the courage to dive under the water, my feet squeezed into the monofin and legs bound together with a fluorescent orange fabric tail, I quickly realise: yes, it is. Under the water I feel a burst of nostalgia to my own childhood love of mermaids and also a deep sense of freedom: I’m flying with an elegance I never knew I had in me. Alongside Celine, we are the centre of attention. Scuba divers snap pictures on underwater cameras below and passers-by stop dead in their tracks, mesmerised School of fish 3 by the spectacle. It feels amazing. A few other spots to dip 4 While Van de Voorde is pleased to see the mermaid scene into mermaiding 5 in Belgium expanding, she has no interest in teaching full- 2 1 time. “I just want to perform,” she explains after our session, bobbing gently in the water. “I am at my happiest in the 1. SIRENAS MEDITERRANEAN worldofswimming.org/ 4. SIRENES BY PERLE EVENTS water. It’s where I’m meant to be.” With that, she dives below ACADEMY Tarragona, Spain mermaid-school Marseille, France the surface and, with a delicate flick of her huge fin, is gone. sirenasmediterranean 3. SPLASH MERMAID ACADEMY sirene.perle-events.fr mermaidceline.com academy.com Manchester, UK 5. AQUAMERMAID 2. WORLD OF SWIMMING facebook.com/ Toronto, Canada MERMAID SCHOOL New York, US SplashMermaidAcademy aquamermaid.com FLY TO BRUSSELS FROM MORE THAN 80 DESTINATIONS

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