The Real Mermaids
Hello Dear Readers,
As you can tell from my last post, I am deep into my mermaid obsession and celebration. After the global release of Disney's Little Mermaid its been so nice to see everyone enjoying the movie, praising Halle's amazing performance and vocals, and appreciating the beauty and wonder of the ocean.
The Little Mermaid has already made more than 200 million dollars at the box office, and its no surprise since mermaids have been popular for thousands of years. It is believed mermaids appeared for the first time painted on caves in the late Stone Age, about 30,000 years ago. In the Middle East, mermaid stories date back to Assyria in the year 1000 BC. In Asia, an ancient text from 400 BC contains Chinese mythology tales about mermaids whose tears become pearls. In Egypt, the Edfu temple built between 237 and 57 BC contains a mermaid hieroglyphic. Most recently in Europe, in the 16th century we see mermaids appear in the Odyssey and in 1837 Hans Christian Andersen published "The Little Mermaid".
Mermaids are a pervasive part of myths, legends and folklore all across the world highlights the wonder, creativity and magic the ocean has always inspired in human culture. Today we have ocean scientists, heroes and advocates that are 100% human yet 100% living the mermaid life. Here are some inspiring Black women that are leading the way in ocean exploration and education, true Ariels!
Make sure to follow them and buy their books to learn more!
Above: Mermaid Hieroglyphic at Temple of Edfu in Edfu, Egypt
The Black Mermaid Foundation
Zandile Ndhlovu is a free-dive instructor, SCUBA instructor, author and founder of The Black Mermaid Foundation. The Black Mermaid is where Zandile found solace in her journey as a freediving instructor based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Being the first Black African Instructor in South Africa, she is determined to share her passion for the ocean with the world, and explore how our deepest beliefs about the deep ocean can coexist with freediving, perhaps even bring us closer to the knowledge of self. Zandile's favorite part of being a diver is being able to witness and connect with the underwater world, which motivates one to be a steward for ocean health. "The more you dive, the more you notice the changes in the sea, and from there you are in a position to act and rally collective action", she explains. In regards to her book and the new movie, Zandile shares that the greatest thing about being a mermaid is being able to merge the land and sea worlds. "Its the idea that we can enjoy the best of both worlds, the beautiful notion of living in both of them, and so my book 'Zandi's song' expands on what this could look like". You can follow Zandile on twitter & instagram at @Zandithemermaid
Above: Zandile's youtube channel features her swimming all over the world!
Left: Zandile posing with her new book about Zandi the mermaid. You can preorder her book here, here and here!
Below: To watch the trailer for Zandile's documentary "The Black Mermaid" click on the image below.
Mahogany Mermaid
Aliyah Griffith is a marine scientist, Ph. D student, author, National Geographic Explorer, founder and CEO of Mahogany Mermaid. Mahogany Mermaid's mission is to encourage young people of color, specifically Black and African American, to join the aquatic sciences. Many don't realize the numerous science and professional opportunities available involving our ocean, and its important for everyone to know that many paths to an ocean career exist. Aliyah also had the amazing opportunity to meet Halle Bailey to discuss all things mermaid and ocean based!
Above: The Little Mermaid Halle Bailey meets the Mahogany Mermaid Aliyah Griffith. Watch their video here.
Left: Aliyah Griffith's new mermaid book "My Secret Mermaid" is available for purchase here.
Aliyah's favorite part of being a marine scientist is being able to explore the ocean through diving and getting to see all the natural wonders. She elaborates that an extra layer to her motivation and drive is "breaking down barriers so the next generation of Black marine scientists don't have to deal with the same obstacles I did". Both aspects of her career require a lot of work and skill but she is thankful for the opportunity to make a large impact. When asked about her new mermaid book, Aliyah shares "it provides different perspectives on how to be an everyday mermaid and how to explore different careers in marine science". You can follow the Mahogany Mermaid at @MermaidsinSTEM @cnidariannerd on twitter.
Minorities In Shark Sciences (MISS)
MISS was founded in 2020 because the four co-founders regularly felt alone and unwelcome in shark science. As Black and mixed race women, they were often one of a few people of color in their higher-education STEM classes. With that in mind, they founded MISS with the hopes of making it so no one who came after them has to feel as they had. MISS supports positive role models for the next generation, promotes diversity and inclusion in shark science, and encourages gender minorities of color to push through barriers to contribute knowledge in marine science. MISS believes that diversity in scientists creates diversity in thought, which leads to innovation. Follow MISS on twitter and instagram at @MISS_elasmo
Above: Video demonstrating all the great work done by MISS
Jasmin Graham, M.S. President & CEO of MISS
Jasmin specializes in elasmobranch ecology and evolution. Her past research interests include smalltooth sawfish movement ecology and hammerhead shark phylogeny. She is a member of the American Elasmobranch Society and served on their Student Affairs Committee as the Early Career Representative. She is a member of the IUCN Shark Specialist group and serves on their Communications Team. Jasmin has a passion for science education and making science more accessible for everyone. Jasmin's favorite part about being a marine scientist is getting to spend time in the ocean and observing all the amazing marine wildlife. On Halle Bailey as Ariel, Jasmin shares "My favorite thing about the new Little Mermaid movie is seeing the joy in all the faces of these little Black girls who now get dolls, outfits and other little mermaid swag, seeing themselves represented in all of those products." Follow Jasmin on twitter at @Elasmo_Gal
Above left: Jasmin holding a sawfish, a type of ray and close relative to sharks. Above right: Jasmin enjoying the beach.
Carlee Jackson Bohannan, M.S. Director of Communications for MISS
Carlee is a shark and sea turtle scientist with an M.S. in marine biology from Nova Southeastern University. She worked with the NSU shark tagging program and researched the effects of provisioning tourism on nurse sharks in Belize. Previously, Carlee has worked as a Research Associate for the New College of Florida, a team member of the the Disney Conservation team, a Marine Turtle Specialist at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, and an environmental educator in South Florida. Carlee is very passionate about research and field work, striving to contribute to the conservation of sharks and sea turtles. Carlee is also the author of two amazing children's books that are beautifully illustrated and full of fun science facts.
Above: Carlee's books on sharks and green turtles, you can buy your own copy here!
Carlee's favorite part about being a marine scientist is the field work. "I love being outside, in the water, getting sweaty and dirty! I LIVE for going out with the goal of collecting data that will help answer a research question", Carlee explains. In regards to the new Little Mermaid movie, Carlee particularly loves the black girl magic oozing from Halle Bailey, "It’s a beautiful movie and Halle’s voice is angelic. Growing up I’ve always wanted to be a mermaid, mostly because I’d love to have a pretty tail and long colorful hair! Also a bonus would be living in a coral reef". Follow Carlee on twitter & instagram at @therealcarlee_b
Above left: Carlee takes notes while snorkeling & conducting research. Above right: Carlee SCUBA diving in a coral reef
Amani Webber-Schultz Chief Financial Officer at MISS
Amani studies shark functional morphology and swimming kinematics. She is currently a PhD student at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. She has participated in research in areas ranging from paleoceanography to 3D modeling of animals. In 2023, she received both the Department of Defense Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation Scholarship and the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship to support her research. She holds science communication close to her heart and enjoys talking with the public about sharks and their importance in the ocean. Amani's favorite part of being a marine scientist is getting to learn about the amazing wonders of the ocean and solving ocean problems. What Amani loves the most about The Little Mermaid is Ariel’s close relationship with ocean animals since "I've always wanted to be able to talk to animals". I mean, who doesn't wish for a fish companion to talk to in life? Follow Amani on twitter & instagram at @Curly_Biologist
Above left: Amani teaching a shark workshop with the Field School. Above right: Amani snorkeling in seagrass.
Jaida Elcock Director of Public Relations at MISS
Jaida Elcock is a PhD student in the MIT-WHOI Joint Program. Her research is on shark movement ecology of basking sharks. In 2022, Jaida was awarded a Nancy Foster Fellowship to support her PhD research and she has also been recognized as an American Elasmobranch Society Young Professional Recruitment Fund Scholar. Jaida is incredibly excited to help other underrepresented students light a fire within themselves to fuel a passion for marine sciences. When asked what she enjoys the most about marine science, Jaida explains "I get to walk through life leading with creativity and curiosity. I get to ask questions that many people would never think about and try to find answers to them. I get to investigate my favorite elements of the natural world and understand how the animals I research make their way through life. It makes me feel connected with the planet and all the animals we share it with in a way that fosters my creativity and love of learning". Jaida also shares that she, obviously, went to see the new Little Mermaid movie during its opening weekend and loved "All the cultural elements they included, such as the island the movie was set on, and how all of Ariel's sisters represented the seven seas and the cultures around those seas". I agree with Jaida that seeing the diversity of Ariel's sisters represent the diversity of ocean life was a great moment in the movie, so much that I do wish they had featured the sisters more! You can follow Jaida on twitter & instagram at @soFISHtication
Above left: Jaida taking a blood sample from a shark. Above right: Jaida snorkeling like a true mermaid.
If you want to learn more about the history of Black mermaids, I highly recommend reading this Gina Carrol blog "#OurAriel and The Legacy of the Black Mermaid", this article on "Black Mermaids: The Waters Beyond Eurocentric Mythology" by Natasha Bowen, this blog post "Actually, Black Mermaid Folklore Has Been Around Long Before Disney’s The Little Mermaid" by Evie Muir, and check out this art exhibition focused on Black mermaids!
Left: Illustration by Leo and Diane Dillon of "Mary Belle and The Mermaid" from "Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales, and True Tales" written by Virginia Hamilton.
*Note* Despite how badly some of us want them to exist, unfortunately mermaids are not real.
A couple of years ago a mockumentary titled "Mermaids: The Body Found" was released by Animal Planet, that led many people to believe that perhaps these creatures could indeed be real. This movie caused so much uproar and controversy that NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the government entity in charge of analyzing the weather and the ocean) had to do a press release specifically saying that mermaids are not real, which of course led conspiracists to believe it even more since the government outright denounced the idea. You can still find NOAA'S statement on mermaids here. It has been proven that many of the scenes and evidence in this fake documentary were fabricated, it extrapolated medical anomalies into grandiose conclusions, and the featured "scientists" were all paid actors.