Mermaids Are Real in These 12 Places

Book your summer stay here now because that’s when the third season of its most popular activity—Mermaid School—kicks into the water once again. Instructed by Kitty Hawk Kites, classes are held at Sanderling Resort’s indoor pool Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons weekly during June, July, and August for people seven years and older. Mermaid fins can even be purchased.

Summer heats up in Scottsdale, meaning it’s the perfect time to cool off by donning a mermaid fin. Aqua Mermaid coaches mermaid swimming at nine locales, including at Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch every summer. Two classes are offered at the resort’s 2.5-acre pool area on Saturday and Sunday mornings during the summer: Kids Mermaid Class and Tweens & Adults Mermaid Class.

While classes are only held between Memorial Day and Labor Day at the Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa (between the ages of four and 18 on Saturdays and Sundays), arrange a private party ($400 for up to 10 people) with your adult friends through Mermaiding anytime. In addition to a two-hour lesson (at a pool or beach of your choice), a Champagne toast and photo shoot are included.

Mermaids aren’t the first thing you think of in Vermont—all the more reason to check out Selkie Mermaid School, hosted at Smugglers’ Notch Resort (about an hour from Burlington) as of late August. Designed for anyone over the age of seven, hour-long classes are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Also offered: private parties, three-lesson packages, and—for timid would-be mermaids—intro classes.

Dubbed “Mermaid Fitness Class,” this posh San Diego-area hotel’s 45-minute immersion  blends swimming, core, cardio, and strength training to the tune of fast-paced music. The class is offered on Friday and Saturday at 8 a.m. during the summer, and on Saturdays the rest of the year.

Each Aqua Fun Tails class hosted at Spectrum Resorts at The Beach Club includes an option to arrange an underwater photo-shoot of you in full mermaid (or shark) outfit that includes a 4”x6” take-home photo plus a flash drive—to prove to family and friends you actually did this. Sessions are offered March through October, and on Tuesday and Thursday mornings only.

“Mermaid Kelly” launched Flippers Mermaid School earlier this year, catering to anyone who wants to master swimming with a mermaid tail, no matter your age. Ongoing 90-minute sessions during the summer months at two area pools instruct swimmers in everything from how to put on the tail to swimming safely, plus learning tricks and games with your fellow mermaids.

If a one-day class isn’t enough, you can also sign up for a weekend-long camp. Next summer’s “Sirens of the Deep” mermaid-camp is reserved for adults ages 30 and up, and the camp is held at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, an hour’s drive north of Tampa.

The “Mermaid/Merman for a Day” experience is perfect for brightening up a dreary winter day and a nice add-on when visiting a Kalahari waterpark. Held year-round and entirely indoors, kids can sign up for 30-minute lessons with a trainer schooled in the art of mermaid swimming. Classes are either in the early mornings or after the park closes so as not to conflict with open swims.

With events at 20 properties throughout Orlando and Boca Raton, The Mermaid Academy’s “Mermaid Experience” is a one-hour class geared for kids and adults, with fun challenges like diving for treasures or swimming through hoops. An underwater photo shoot can be arranged.

From suburban Chicago to rural Montana, there are many places where Mermaid Academy is held, organized by Fin Fun Mermaid. Check out the company’s class locator for the complete list and then contact venues (aquatic centers, recreation centers, and athletic clubs) for further info.

In an hour-long class with AquaMermaid, your endurance is tested and you’ll have a blast as you try synchronized swimming and navigating life underwater with a tail. Check out the class locator online.