Mermaid Ondine reports:

The Merlesque mermaids are incredibly excited to announce a unique opportunity for 15 lucky photographers on the 23rd August: the chance to photograph real mermaids and underwater models - without getting your feet wet!

Ever wanted to try underwater photography but been put off by the expensive equipment and complex set-up?  This is the perfect opportunity to dip a toe into the magical world of underwater photography, without the worry and expense. You will be able to photograph mermaids and dancers through the sides of a photographic-quality acrylic tank, meaning that you can use your own favourite camera to capture beautiful underwater images. The tank at the Peterborough Aquatheatre is make of high grade acrylic which is perfect for distortion-free photography, as it has a refraction rate much closer to that of water than a glass tank would have.

Lighting will be set up and tested before you arrive, and shoots will take place in small groups of no more than five photographers at a time. You will be able to shoot both a mermaid in full costume, and a model in human form; all our models are experienced professional underwater models with the ability to control their buoyancy, hold their breath and open their eyes underwater - all while posing and looking beautiful. We will supply props and costumes, but we're also very much open to your suggestions, so if there are any particular ideas you have for what you'd like to shoot, just let us know!

This is the first time we have ever run this event, and consequently the amazing price of £60 (or £55 if you like our Facebook page) covers tank hire alone. We will never be able to run this event so cheaply again, so please do come and join us.

You can find out more details (including timings etc.) here, or please do contact us if you have further questions or would like to book your space.

Mermaid Ondine reports:

Mermaid Lorelei has spent the past two weeks working on marine conservation in Cambodia with the charity Save Cambodian Marine Life. Here she is pictured underwater at a coral farm, one of the charity's projects to create a new reef off Koh Rong Samloem, to counteract some of the damage to coral reefs around the world. Find out more about the charity and their good work by visiting their Facebook page.

Mermaid Melusine reports:
Today is a day of celebration here at Mermaid Mansion! Our three mermaids Lorelei, Melusine and Ondine were delighted to hear that today five species of critically endangered shark (the oceanic whitetip, porbeagle and three types of hammerhead) have been given greater protection by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (a.k.a. Cites). Not only that - manta rays have also gained new protection. 

Shark finning is a huge problem for the world's oceans. The latest estimates are that an unbelievable 100 million sharks are killed every year, chiefly for their fins. As some shark species can take many years to reach maturity, this can lead to a crash in shark populations, which has serious knock-on effects to marine ecosystems. Find out more about the problems with shark finning by clicking here. 

Here in Cambridge, the grassroots movement Fin Free Cambridge have recently had success in persuading Cambridge City Council to vote to condemn the sale of shark fin products in Cambridge. It's the first city in the UK to do so, and the group are now aiming to expand their movement across the country.  

Just one more reason that the Merlesque mermaids are happy to call Cambridge our home!

Mermaid Melusine x

Mermaid Ondine reports:

Thanks to everyone who's visited our website in its first week of life! Our Facebook and Twitter pages have had a surge of interest as well - so if you haven't already, head over and check them out for more news, pictures, and bad ocean-based puns.

Made-up Mermaids
It's been a busy week for all our mermaids; we recently held a mermaid summit which focused on pooling our collective knowledge of the best make-up. Mermaid Melusine's plum-coloured mascara was a big hit; it really intensifies your natural eye colour, although sadly the fact it's not waterproof means we can only use it for land-based performances.
We also love this amazing YouTube video by make-up artist Nic Haste of PixieWoo.com. If you want to know how to achieve the look of iconic film star Marlene Dietrich, we highly recommend it. Our attempts to replicate her look weren't quite as effortlessly flawless as Nic's - but they do say that practice makes perfect.

World Water Day
In other mermaidy news, take a look at these beautiful underwater photographs of celebrities including Keira Knightley, Lily Cole and Kelly Brook (in a mermaid tail!) taken for charity fresh20, in order to raise awareness of the global water crisis. World Water Day is the 22nd March and as you can imagine, it's a cause close to our hearts.

Mermaid Ondine x