MERMAIDS are no longer just mythical creatures – now you can make a living acting as one.
Despite being afraid of the ocean, one woman took the unusual job and now earns up to $8,000 every time she moves her tail.
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Elle Jiménez (@themermaidelle), 34 years old, spent the last eight years acting as a mermaid at children’s birthdays or corporate events.
The Puerto Rican, now based in Miami, has performed alongside celebrities such as the Jonas Brothers, Bruno Mars and DJ Khaled.
She can earn up to $8,000 for just an hour swimming, but she hasn’t always felt so comfortable in the water.
“I was afraid of the ocean and water, I never saw myself as a mermaid at first,” Elle explained.
“I took three months of swimming lessons and then got my diving and lifeguard certification.”
Once she was confident in the water, she began to enjoy the scenery.
“When I saw the ocean, I thought there was nothing more beautiful,” she said.
“It was so inspiring, but also the scariest experience of my life.”
A born artist, Elle started her entertainment company in March 2016.
When a client unexpectedly asked her to act as a mermaid, she spent three months learning to swim.
“Most mermaid salaries are around $300 per hour. I’m more of a mermaid man,” she said.
“I charge between $600 and $2,000 an hour, and sometimes up to $8,000.
“It’s about knowing your worth and knowing your craft. It’s a lot of expertise and investment.”
Elle now travels the world like a mermaid with her boyfriend, Darren Joshua Leonardi, 35, a photographer.
The silicone tail takes about 15 minutes to go in, then another five minutes to get comfortable.
Elle Jiménez
“My boyfriend is my trainer and comes with me everywhere for safety reasons,” she explained.
“He looks like Aqua Man, and I trained him to be a mermaid, so he will start performing with me.”
An integral part of Elle’s work is her extensive selection of mermaid costumes.
She has a $5,000 silicone tail that she has to use lube to squeeze.
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“The silicone tail takes about 15 minutes to go in, then another five minutes to get comfortable,” she said.
Elle also has 30 fabric tails Cape Caliwho make the pieces with ecological and recycled materials.
To complete her magical wardrobe, she has a variety of tops, which retail for $500 each.
“I have about 10 different tops, mostly silicone and hand sculpted, which are super beautiful, I think I love the tops more than the tails,” she said.
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Elle and Darren will be the world’s first professional mermaid couple and are scheduled to perform at the Miami Grand Prix in May.
She described her appearance at the Formula 1 race as “the biggest event in mermaid history.”
“We work on sets, so for an hour I’m in the water or sitting by the pool and then I take a break,” she explained.
Elle has also written a children’s book Mermaid Elle Saving the Seas, which will be released next year.
She said the donations will go to the non-profit ocean conservation charity.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
