Freedom in fins: Northwest merfolk make magic with imaginative playSubscriber Exclusive

Finfolk offering fun at events while also finding serenity

By Monika Spykerman, Columbian staff writer

Published: October 21, 2023, 6:13am

16 Photos

Jessica Thiessen, aka Luna Fortuna, identifies as Black and Indigenous. She says that anyone can be a mermaid -- just embrace your magic. (Contributed photo) Photo Gallery

An estimated 1,000 people in the United States are “professional mermaids” — that is, they don fishtails and fins and get paid to swim in tanks, pools and open water. These mermaids swim even in landlocked states like Arkansas, Arizona and Kansas. You can go to mermaid school in Iowa or Nevada or board a mermaid cruise ship in Florida.

Thank you for reading The Columbian.

Subscribe for only $99/year to get unlimited access.

Subscribe Now

Already a subscriber?

Support local journalism

Your tax-deductible donation to The Columbian’s Community Funded Journalism program will contribute to better local reporting on key issues, including homelessness, housing, transportation and the environment. Reporters will focus on narrative, investigative and data-driven storytelling.

Local journalism needs your help. It’s an essential part of a healthy community and a healthy democracy.