CEBU CITY, Philippines- Do you believe in mermaids?
Cebuana Naomi “Mermaid Mariae” Rosales did. And at a young age, she, like many other kids, dreamt of being a mermaid.
“It was actually my ultimate dream [to ba a mermaid],” the 29-year-old Rosales said. “My mom was a swimming coach, so I was comfortable with the water since I was 2 years old.”
Now, Rosales, is living her dream, as she is one of the many Cebuana mermaids working at the tanks of a marine theme park in Cebu City.
“I’ve been always dreaming of becoming a mermaid, just for fun ‘coz I didn’t realize back then that you could actually make a career out of it, and never imagined I’d get to be one for real!” Rosales said.
Rosales, also known as Cebuana Sirena, works as a sales manager and a tank mermaid at the same time. She shares with CDN Digital the fun life of being a mermaid even for just a few hours a day.
Mermaid Mariae started her life a a tank mermaid when she fell in love with freediving in 2020.
“I have been freediving since December 2020. As for being a tank mermaid, I started performing in mermaid shows for Cebu Ocean Park in May 2022 as part of my group, Bakhaw Adventure Team,” she said.
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Aside from performing in tanks and taking videos in the open waters of Cebu, Mariae also graces parties for kids to make their mermaid dreams come true too.
Mariae and her group have been doing appearances for kiddie shows and parties in Cebu and teach in mermaid classes.
She said, though, that being a tank mermaid is not all beauty.
“Being a tank mermaid is also physically demanding and requires rigorous training to maintain the necessary skills and stamina. Additionally, there are safety risks involved, especially during activities like no mask diving, which need to be approached with caution,” she said.
But the satisfaction of seeing genuine happiness from their audience every after performance makes everything worth it.
DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A MERMAID TOO?
For those who want to become a mermaid like her, Mariae suggests to look for a group that offers mermaid courses in Cebu, then dedicate time and effort to train to refine your mermaid skills. She also suggests looking for a mermaid pod where you can join and go on group dives. Most importantly, she urges those who want to become mermaids to enjoy the journey.
“Embrace the process and enjoy the journey of becoming a mermaid. Let your passion for mermaiding guide you and continue exploring new possibilities and opportunities within the mermaid community,” said Mariae.
/bmjo
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