There are now 1000 professional mermaids in the US

People Magazine ^ | 30 September 2015 | Alex Heigl

[Lorianne]

Being a mermaid is hard work, but someone's got to do it.

According to Fast Company, about 1,000 someones are doing it, in fact. That's the number of people employed as full-time professional mermaids, per estimations and interviews gathered by the site.

One of those merpeople: Rachel Smith, head mermaid at Dive Bar, a lounge in downtown Sacramento, California, where she and other women perform in a 7,500-gallon aquarium.

"It's really hard," Smith explained to Fast Company. "Our legs are tied together, the fish are running into us, and it's dark. Our tails can weigh up to 35 pounds, but the saltwater makes us float, so we have another five to 10 pounds strapped between our legs; the movement is all from your core, so your abs are really working as you go through the tank."

Other aspects of Peak Mermaid in 2015 America: North Carolina's MerFest, which attracted 650 merfolk in January, and Fin Fun, a company that sells 50,000 mermaid tails a month to wannabes across the country. Mermaid exercise classes, which aim to strengthen your core via mermaid-style underwater maneuvers, are also a thing.

[Norm Lenhart]

AH! You must be from Windhelm! ;)

[Bubba_Leroy]

The Darling Mermaid Darlings.

[Army Air Corps]

Ping...or not.

[Army Air Corps]

In da Forties, we called ‘em Merbroads, but that was a different time; 1947 or ‘48.

[Norm Lenhart]

We could use a serious regression to that era. It would solve a LOT.

[subterfuge]

Hung like a tuna can eh? Lol

[Slings and Arrows]

The free market provides.

[PAR35]

There used to be mermaids in San Marcos, Texas, but the University bought the springs and exterminated them.

[Army Air Corps]

I remember that show quite fondly.

[BykrBayb]

They all look alike to you, except the redhead? What if we were to put a red wig on the one in the middle? LOL

[Norm Lenhart]

Then the fat chick would suddenly move up the ranks dramatically but still be inferior to the real thing ;)

[BykrBayb]

Uh oh. Here comes trouble!

[Gefn]

I’m thinking of the mermaid from Red Dwarf that the Cat fell in love with

Fish head on top. Legs on the bottom.

[Norm Lenhart]

Well Neanderthal descendants were involved so... ;)

[Larry Lucido]

"What's more important, what's on top or what's down below?"

[Lorianne]

[elcid1970]

And there was only one Esther Williams!

If I want to see a chick swimming underwater, I prefer that she have legs.

;^)

[Slings and Arrows]

*blink*

[Pikachu_Dad]

Oh the huge manatee...

[Daffynition]

Weeki Wachee salute!