About ___________________________Page 3 Being a Mermaid____________________Page 6 Mermaid Faq_______________________Page 7 Math Resource _____________________Page 10 2011 in Review_____________________Page 11 Underwater Modelling________________Page 14
Cover Image shot by Style Envie Studios All other photos by Raina unless specifically indicated including background images
Raina is a Canadian mermaid in her mid20's located in Halifax. She currently owns two tails. One tail was made by a mermaid company no longer in business and is an orange stretch vinyl tail with sim fins. Raina refers to this as her "practice" tail. Raina's other tail will soon be ready for retirement. It is a realistic latex tail originally created by the mertailor but re-made by Raven of Mebellas due to sizing issues. Raina performs in the water and on land. She can currently hold her breath for 2 minutes stagnate and is working on going longer. Raina also entertains with a focus on education about the environment and encouraging literacy. Raina believes in nurturing imagination, spreading information, and inspiring children (and adults) to follow their dreams. Raina does birthday parties, charity work, pool performing, mermaid encounters, professional modelling, festivals, children's events, and more. Raina is inspired by the many other women who perform as mermaids including the original mermaid Annette Kellerman. Raina is always inspired by the work of the David Suzuki Foundation and local Halifax activist groups. Raina aknowledges the generous finacial support of sponsors who helped her afford her tails new and old.
Special thanks to Alexandria for the Image
Being a mermaid is something I dreamed of since a child like many of the professional mers out there today. I'd sit as a young girl on my grandmother's marble flooring pretending it was the ocean or a river and I was the resident mermaid. When I became an adult and learned through the internet that there were people out there actually making this dream come true I was shell shocked. I spent years researching and putting money aside to get my tail. After some fund-raising I managed to finally purchase a tail but my journey wasn't ready to begin. The tail has issues and it would be almost another year before a wonderful mer (Raven of Merbellas) took the time to fix it for me.
I always reflect on the help I got along the way that made my dream possible. There are so many people who invested time or money and information. There are so many people who still inspire me and inform me. I try to be as informative to other prospective mers as I can. I hope in reading my journal and articles that you'll find some information if you want to become a mer, or some inspiration to chase after your own dream!
Background image by Mark Anthony Ramsay Photography
Q. Are you a good swimmer? A. I wasn't for a very long time! I always swam with something to float on as a kid. As a teen I taught myself to swim but didn't venture under water much because I always got ear infections. When I started with my mermaid tail it was so amazing, the tail had so much power! I swim very well in my tail now but believe it or not still not so great with my human legs! Q. Where can I buy a mermaid tail? Who do you recommend? A. There are so many tail makers out there now and new ones coming! Mermaidtails.net has a great list. I recommend reading reviews. Choose someone reliable where you'll get the best bang for your buck!
Q. How many types of tails are there? A. Many! Some people make tails out of different types of fabric, usually swim fabric. Some make tails from latex or silicone too. Q. What's a monofin? A. A monofin is a special dive fin used mainly by free divers. Mermaid tails are generally made with one if they are swimmable. The monofin is shaped like a mermaid fluke and both feet go in the one fin. Swimmers use a dolphin kick to move quickly through the water. It really works your core! Q. What's the most difficult thing about swimming in a mermaid tail? A. It's tricky to learn to swim with your legs together. Never attempt to swim in your tail alone or with your legs tied together. Professional mermaids always have people nearby even if you don't see them in photos. Q. How long can you hold your breath? A. My best time so far was 2 minutes stagnate outside of the water. My best under water is 1-1.5 minutes. I am hoping to improve it. I never practice breath holds by myself in the pool. Q. How do I make a mermaid tail?/Can you make me a mermaid tail? A. I do not make mermaid tails. You can find great tutorials on mernetwork.com
Photo by Style Envie Studios Raina is a big supporter of the arts. This image was taken at Dr. Sketchy Halifax. Dr. Sketchy is a drawing group that meets monthly. 19+ only cover applies. Check them out
Jelly Fish
are one of the main prey of all species of sea turtles. But
these creatures known to live up and over 100 years are dying from ingesting plastic bags. In the water plastic bags look like jellyfish. You can help! Make sure all your plastic bags are recycled and replace them with recycled reusable bags! No more plastic in our ocean.
Photo shot by Raina
MATH RESOURCE Raina was a mermaid Or so the story goes Where she had a long orange tail People had feet and toes That wasn’t the only difference As Raina came to see Between herself and the humans Why they were as different as could be! But Raina liked to learn and to her it was a pleasure and lately she’d become obsessed with learning how to measure Oh she had rulers and protractors A big stick and then some tape but there was just one simple little thing That Raina couldn’t get as of late When the people built their houses and their pools made out of concrete Why couldn’t they have measured in FINS Instead of measuring in Feet! Didn’t they know that mermaids Had beautiful flukes and a fin Measuring in feet made no sense but she knew where to begin! She started in a place That all mermaids really love And measured 3 fins across For her cozy indoor tub Next she headed to the pool and didn’t miss a beat! It was only 30 fins across Not 57 feet! Her last trip was to the ocean and she gaped around the beach measuring it all in fins? A goal she might not reach… So if you ask her how to measure she’ll tell you with a grin “Forget about all that tapesimply use your fin!” - Copyright Raina 2011
Watch the video for this poem here Download and print the math lesson plan here Raina's resources are free for you to use
Photo by Mark Anthony Ramsay Photography
2011 IN REVIEW 2011 Started with a bang when Raina received her tail after a makeover by Raven of Merbellas. Raina was quick to put the tail to use at the MSVU Children's carnival and modelling for Dr. Sketchy Halifax!
Raina was featured in her local paper's Arts and Life section, as well as online, and on the cover!
Raina enjoyed participating at World Ocean's Day the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and educating children at the annual RBC Multiculural Festival.
Raina took part in the Mahone Bay Pirate's festival as well as many other related events. She was also invited to speak at Mount Saint Vincent University three times during the year to pre-service teachers.
Raina posed for many photoshoots and was excited to have her work on display at the MSVU Art Gallery Community Show. You can see more highlights of what Raina did in 2011 on this part of her website and in her images on facebook. Happy swimming!
RAINA'S SHELL TOP was made by the talented Cydney Mermaid
There are many talented mers in the community who make tops, jewellery, and mer accessories. Come and join the community forum today to meet some of these mer-artisans and place your orders!
Photo by Mark Anthony Ramsay Photography
UNDERWATER MODELLING comes with the territory for many professional mer. But looking graceful and natural underwater is not as effortless as many mers would have you convinced. Because we do not wear goggles most mers struggle seeing underwater especially in chlorine. A mer is basically blind and depth of field can be tricky to judge. The tails are excellent for swimming but many tails are also buoyant and it can be a challenge to stay underwater for more than a few seconds if not moving. Many professionals mers opt for heavier tails and work on their own muscle mass to help them sink. A mer does not need to have a long breath hold to model well underwater but it certainly helps to have experience in scuba diving, free diving, and snorkelling. Having assistants will make a big difference as well as working with a photographer who has some experience in underwater photography. Some mers may be ambitious and want to do their own photos themselves. There are many excellent and affordable point and shoot digital underwater cameras on the market. The best photos will always come from high end digital SLRs inside a housing but this is also a very expensive route.
Jewellery and mer accessories can also do a lot for your photos. Wearing belts with netting, necklaces with fake plants and shells, and hair ornaments will add to the mermaid mystique. Keeping your expression in the mood you want can be tricky as well! It's hard to resist the urge to close your eyes and scrunch up your face underwater. Spending time practicing your expression and seeing how it translates in the shots will help you once you're modelling for the photographer. You can always practice in the bath tub too!
Photo by Raina Mermaid
Frequent Question Asked by Reporters: "Raina, how do children react when they see you?" Raina: "They don't always react the same, but 9 times out of 10 it's usually funny...."
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Raina is the outer expression of my most inner self. Self Portrait by Raina