1
00:00:13,638 --> 00:00:15,265
<i>[light chatter, laughter]</i>

2
00:00:17,767 --> 00:00:18,768
<i>Smile!</i>

3
00:00:21,730 --> 00:00:24,190
<i>[dramatic music plays]</i>

4
00:00:24,274 --> 00:00:26,651
<i>[children chattering]</i>

5
00:00:29,112 --> 00:00:30,655
<i>[children exclaiming]</i>

6
00:00:43,793 --> 00:00:44,794
<i>[music ends]</i>

7
00:00:46,421 --> 00:00:47,964
<i>Oh my God.</i>

8
00:00:50,050 --> 00:00:51,384
<i>[groans in pain]</i>

9
00:00:52,010 --> 00:00:53,219
<i>[moans softly]</i>

10
00:00:53,303 --> 00:00:54,637
<i>We checked the pH.</i>

11
00:00:54,721 --> 00:00:56,056
<i>Did the pH get changed?</i>

12
00:00:56,139 --> 00:00:59,059
<i>[woman] Chase down the pool guy.</i>
<i>Make sure he didn't put too much chlorine.</i>

13
00:01:00,226 --> 00:01:02,562
<i>-Open. Open more.</i>
<i>-[woman] Force your eye open.</i>

14
00:01:02,645 --> 00:01:04,272
<i>How do we find an eye wash station?</i>

15
00:01:04,939 --> 00:01:06,900
<i>[moaning, whimpering]</i>

16
00:01:08,526 --> 00:01:09,944
<i>[whimpering groans]</i>

17
00:01:10,779 --> 00:01:12,655
<i>Ah… fuck!</i>

18
00:01:12,739 --> 00:01:14,866
<i>[groans, screams]</i>

19
00:01:17,077 --> 00:01:19,871
<i>-["Black Sea" by Natasha Blume plays]</i>
<span style="style2">-♪ Come down to the Black Sea ♪</i>

20
00:01:19,954 --> 00:01:21,372
<i>♪ Swimming with me ♪</i>

21
00:01:21,456 --> 00:01:25,335
<i>♪ Ah-ooh-ooh ♪</i>

22
00:01:26,336 --> 00:01:29,214
{\an8}<i>♪ Ooh-ooh ♪</i>

23
00:01:29,297 --> 00:01:31,716
{\an8}<i>♪ Come down to the Black Sea ♪</i>

24
00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:33,510
{\an8}<i>♪ Swimming with me ♪</i>

25
00:01:33,593 --> 00:01:36,721
{\an8}<i>♪ Ah-ooh-ooh ♪</i>

26
00:01:37,305 --> 00:01:39,474
{\an8}<i>♪ Go down with me, fall with me ♪</i>

27
00:01:39,557 --> 00:01:41,351
{\an8}<i>♪ Let's make it worth it ♪</i>

28
00:01:41,434 --> 00:01:44,938
{\an8}<i>♪ Ah-ooh-ooh ♪</i>

29
00:01:46,439 --> 00:01:47,816
{\an8}<i>♪ You rise, I fall ♪</i>

30
00:01:47,899 --> 00:01:50,068
{\an8}<i>♪ I stand, you crawl ♪</i>

31
00:01:50,151 --> 00:01:52,195
{\an8}<i>♪ You twist, I turn ♪</i>

32
00:01:52,278 --> 00:01:53,780
{\an8}<i>♪ Who's the first to burn? ♪</i>

33
00:01:54,364 --> 00:01:56,157
{\an8}<i>♪ You sit and stay ♪</i>

34
00:01:56,241 --> 00:01:57,909
{\an8}<i>♪ I don't obey ♪</i>

35
00:01:57,992 --> 00:02:00,120
{\an8}<i>♪ Where do we land? ♪</i>

36
00:02:00,203 --> 00:02:02,080
{\an8}<i>♪ In the Black Sea ♪</i>

37
00:02:02,163 --> 00:02:04,332
{\an8}<i>♪ Ooh-ooh ♪</i>

38
00:02:04,415 --> 00:02:06,251
{\an8}<i>♪ In the Black Sea ♪</i>

39
00:02:06,334 --> 00:02:07,877
<i>♪ Where do we land? ♪</i>

40
00:02:07,961 --> 00:02:10,296
<i>♪ In the Black Sea ♪</i>

41
00:02:25,562 --> 00:02:27,564
<i>[slow, percussive music playing]</i>

42
00:02:30,358 --> 00:02:32,735
<i>Twenty years ago,</i>
<i>I was the first professional</i>

43
00:02:32,819 --> 00:02:34,404
<i>freelance mermaid in the world.</i>

44
00:02:34,988 --> 00:02:36,656
<i>[cameras clicking]</i>

45
00:02:38,908 --> 00:02:41,619
<i>Now, there's thousands around the world.</i>

46
00:02:41,703 --> 00:02:44,164
<i>[upbeat percussive music playing]</i>

47
00:02:46,708 --> 00:02:49,919
<i>[man 1] Mermaiding is growing</i>
<i>at an exponential rate.</i>

48
00:02:52,255 --> 00:02:54,966
<i>[woman 1] This is</i>
<i>a half-billion-dollar industry.</i>

49
00:02:55,049 --> 00:02:57,385
<i>[cheering]</i>

50
00:02:57,468 --> 00:02:59,762
<i>There are pageants, conventions.</i>

51
00:02:59,846 --> 00:03:02,640
<i>There are competitions, auditions, shows.</i>

52
00:03:02,724 --> 00:03:06,186
<i>There is mermaiding going on</i>
<i>probably in your own backyard</i>

53
00:03:06,269 --> 00:03:07,604
<i>if you know where to find it.</i>

54
00:03:07,687 --> 00:03:09,439
<i>[light clapping]</i>

55
00:03:09,522 --> 00:03:11,441
<i>[crowd exclaims]</i>

56
00:03:12,859 --> 00:03:15,570
<i>The thing that frustrates me</i>
<i>about the public perception</i>

57
00:03:15,653 --> 00:03:18,656
<i>of professional mermaids</i>
<i>is that we're just playing dress-up.</i>

58
00:03:19,532 --> 00:03:22,035
<i>You're gonna invest thousands</i>
<i>of dollars in the equipment,</i>

59
00:03:22,118 --> 00:03:23,953
<i>hundreds of hours of time in the training,</i>

60
00:03:24,037 --> 00:03:27,248
<i>and your first gig might pay $100.</i>

61
00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:30,001
<i>[light clapping]</i>

62
00:03:30,084 --> 00:03:31,586
<i>[whale call echoes]</i>

63
00:03:31,669 --> 00:03:33,963
<i>At its core, mermaiding is a danger art.</i>

64
00:03:34,547 --> 00:03:37,842
<i>[Hannah] Holding your breath,</i>
<i>blurry vision, dangerous animals,</i>

65
00:03:37,926 --> 00:03:41,179
<i>ocean currents,</i>
<i>being so cold all the time. [chuckles]</i>

66
00:03:42,931 --> 00:03:44,974
<i>[woman 1] I get emails</i>
<i>from people telling me</i>

67
00:03:45,058 --> 00:03:48,311
<i>they want to be a professional mermaid,</i>
<i>and my first thought is,</i>

68
00:03:48,394 --> 00:03:51,481
<i>"Oh, you have no idea</i>
<i>what you're getting yourself into."</i>

69
00:03:53,274 --> 00:03:56,819
{\an8}<i>♪ Beautiful dreamer ♪</i>

70
00:03:56,903 --> 00:04:00,448
<i>♪ Wake unto me ♪</i>

71
00:04:00,531 --> 00:04:04,953
<i>♪ Starlight and dewdrops</i>
<i>Are waiting for thee ♪</i>

72
00:04:05,036 --> 00:04:07,288
<i>♪ For thee ♪</i>

73
00:04:07,372 --> 00:04:10,500
<i>[mermaid 1] </i><span style="style2">Being a full-time</i>
<span style="style2">professional mermaid is a rare thing.</i>

74
00:04:10,583 --> 00:04:14,337
<i>I think I'm one of the few who</i>
<i>actually get to do something like this.</i>

75
00:04:14,420 --> 00:04:17,715
<i>And while it definitely</i>
<i>is a dream job, it is hard.</i>

76
00:04:19,050 --> 00:04:21,886
<i>[mermaid 2] </i><span style="style2">It takes more than</i>
<span style="style2">a costume to become a mermaid.</i>

77
00:04:22,470 --> 00:04:26,808
<i>You need to have amazing swimming skills,</i>
<i>breath-hold skills, personality skills.</i>

78
00:04:26,891 --> 00:04:29,143
<i>You have to have a specific look.</i>

79
00:04:29,227 --> 00:04:31,562
<i>[mermaid 1] </i><span style="style2">If you train hard,</i>
<span style="style2">and you're good enough,</i>

80
00:04:31,646 --> 00:04:35,692
<i>and you nail one of these auditions,</i>
<i>yeah, you could get a job at an aquarium.</i>

81
00:04:35,775 --> 00:04:38,278
<i>There's venues and jobs available.</i>

82
00:04:38,361 --> 00:04:41,990
<i>But for every opening,</i>
<i>there are thousands of mermaids applying.</i>

83
00:04:50,540 --> 00:04:52,542
<i>[tense music builds slowly]</i>

84
00:04:56,421 --> 00:04:58,423
<i>[whimsical music playing]</i>

85
00:05:10,518 --> 00:05:12,395
<i>[Sparkles] I am in Arkansas.</i>

86
00:05:13,604 --> 00:05:15,565
<i>And unfortunately, in Arkansas,</i>

87
00:05:15,648 --> 00:05:18,901
<i>I'm just shit out of luck</i>
<i>when it comes to being a mermaid here.</i>

88
00:05:19,485 --> 00:05:24,032
<i>Really doing what I want to do,</i>
<i>and that is be an underwater performer.</i>

89
00:05:24,115 --> 00:05:26,701
<i>We're reaching. Let's go here. Four sets.</i>

90
00:05:28,077 --> 00:05:29,078
<i>Three!</i>

91
00:05:29,162 --> 00:05:31,956
<i>[Sparkles] I'm always looking</i>
<i>for more ways to grow as a mermaid.</i>

92
00:05:32,540 --> 00:05:36,252
<i>And I can't really grow much</i>
<i>as a mermaid in Arkansas</i>

93
00:05:36,336 --> 00:05:38,463
<i>'cause I feel like</i>
<i>I'm trapped in this box.</i>

94
00:05:39,297 --> 00:05:40,882
<i>I'm a landlocked mermaid.</i>

95
00:05:41,674 --> 00:05:43,676
<i>["Chica Mexica" playing]</i>

96
00:05:52,852 --> 00:05:55,938
<i>As far as I know,</i>
<i>I was the only Arkansas mermaid.</i>

97
00:05:57,398 --> 00:06:00,360
<i>Until I met Mermaid Pixi.</i>

98
00:06:07,325 --> 00:06:09,744
<i>Now, how do I make a bigger splash?</i>

99
00:06:09,827 --> 00:06:12,622
<i>'Cause it's like,</i>
<i>I know I can do the headstand, but…</i>

100
00:06:12,705 --> 00:06:16,793
<i>[Sparkles] Pixi and I have developed</i>
<i>a really great mermaid friendship.</i>

101
00:06:16,876 --> 00:06:18,086
<i>-Sorry!</i>
<i>-[both laughing]</i>

102
00:06:18,169 --> 00:06:20,755
<i>We call each other "seasters." [chuckles]</i>

103
00:06:20,838 --> 00:06:24,509
<i>And together we do</i>
<i>whatever we can to mermaid.</i>

104
00:06:24,592 --> 00:06:27,303
<i>We have four inches.</i>
<i>I didn't think it'd be this full.</i>

105
00:06:27,387 --> 00:06:28,221
<i>I know.</i>

106
00:06:28,304 --> 00:06:30,014
<i>Jog with that.</i>

107
00:06:32,183 --> 00:06:34,769
<i>[Sparkles] Most pools</i>
<i>do not allow mermaid tails.</i>

108
00:06:34,852 --> 00:06:37,688
<i>They see it as a safety issue.</i>

109
00:06:40,316 --> 00:06:44,153
<i>But there is this one pool</i>
<i>that occasionally lets us swim</i>

110
00:06:44,237 --> 00:06:48,241
<i>in this little corner while they're doing</i>
<i>water aerobics classes.</i>

111
00:06:48,324 --> 00:06:51,744
<i>[instructor] Imagine</i>
<i>your midsection is a washcloth.</i>

112
00:06:53,413 --> 00:06:54,747
<i>-Three!</i>
<i>-[women exclaim]</i>

113
00:06:54,831 --> 00:06:58,167
<i>[Sparkles] You know,</i>
<i>we take what we can get.</i>

114
00:07:01,254 --> 00:07:03,256
<i>[song fades out]</i>

115
00:07:09,178 --> 00:07:10,388
<i>[bell dings]</i>

116
00:07:18,187 --> 00:07:20,189
<i>[indistinct chatter]</i>

117
00:07:23,818 --> 00:07:26,571
<i>[Sparkles] I was probably around 11,</i>

118
00:07:26,654 --> 00:07:29,615
<i>and, uh, my stepdad at the time,</i>

119
00:07:29,699 --> 00:07:31,617
<i>he said to me,</i>

120
00:07:32,410 --> 00:07:36,372
<i>"You know, there's this place in Florida</i>
<i>called Weeki Wachee Springs</i>

121
00:07:36,456 --> 00:07:38,875
<i>where they have mermaid shows."</i>

122
00:07:38,958 --> 00:07:41,711
<i>And the moment he said</i>
<i>the words "mermaid shows,"</i>

123
00:07:41,794 --> 00:07:44,797
<i>it just hit me like a ton of bricks.</i>

124
00:07:44,881 --> 00:07:46,299
<i>Mermaid shows?</i>

125
00:07:46,382 --> 00:07:51,804
<i>Wait, I could potentially grow up</i>
<i>and get paid to be a mermaid?</i>

126
00:07:52,513 --> 00:07:54,474
<i>That's a job?</i>

127
00:07:55,266 --> 00:07:56,809
<i>Best job I ever had.</i>

128
00:07:56,893 --> 00:07:58,644
<i>["I Tried Not to Cry" playing]</i>

129
00:08:00,188 --> 00:08:02,982
{\an8}<i>[Arlene] Where do I start? Fairy tale.</i>

130
00:08:04,817 --> 00:08:08,112
{\an8}<i>♪ I tried not to cry ♪</i>

131
00:08:08,905 --> 00:08:11,407
<i>I wanted to be a mermaid. I got my wish.</i>

132
00:08:11,908 --> 00:08:17,330
<i>I was a Weeki Wachee mermaid</i>
<i>from 1967 to 1968.</i>

133
00:08:17,413 --> 00:08:20,541
<i>♪ I cry, cry, cry ♪</i>

134
00:08:20,625 --> 00:08:21,626
<i>[song ends]</i>

135
00:08:28,007 --> 00:08:30,009
<i>[gentle music plays]</i>

136
00:08:31,886 --> 00:08:35,097
<i>If I could do it again,</i>
<i>I'd do it again in a heartbeat.</i>

137
00:08:36,224 --> 00:08:38,059
<i>Because Weeki Wachee</i>

138
00:08:38,142 --> 00:08:42,313
<i>is one of the most magical places</i>
<i>on the face of this Earth.</i>

139
00:08:45,483 --> 00:08:47,485
<i>["When You Are Near Me" playing]</i>

140
00:08:54,492 --> 00:08:58,371
<i>[woman 2] When you drive to Weeki Wachee,</i>
<i>they've got all those mermaids out front,</i>

141
00:08:58,454 --> 00:09:01,582
<i>and all those big flagpoles,</i>
<i>and then there's the big statue</i>

142
00:09:01,666 --> 00:09:04,627
{\an8}<i>with the Adagio on top,</i>
<i>and it's just like… [gasps]</i>

143
00:09:04,710 --> 00:09:06,546
{\an8}<i>"What is this place?"</i>

144
00:09:07,338 --> 00:09:09,590
<i>[male narrator]</i>
<span style="style2">Fed by a huge underwater spring,</i>

145
00:09:09,674 --> 00:09:12,843
<i>Weeki Wachee has the largest</i>
<i>underwater theater in the world.</i>

146
00:09:12,927 --> 00:09:15,680
<i>Millions of people enjoy</i>
<i>the fascinating beauty</i>

147
00:09:15,763 --> 00:09:17,932
{\an8}<i>of this submerged theater wonderland</i>

148
00:09:18,015 --> 00:09:22,144
<i>at Weeki Wachee Springs,</i>
<i>Florida's underwater Grand Canyon.</i>

149
00:09:25,565 --> 00:09:28,067
{\an8}<i>"Weeki Wachee" means "winding water."</i>

150
00:09:29,235 --> 00:09:31,946
<i>Weeki Wachee was a huge spring</i>

151
00:09:32,029 --> 00:09:34,115
<i>just out in the middle of nowhere.</i>

152
00:09:36,409 --> 00:09:38,661
<i>[Crystal] And that water</i>
<i>coming up out of there</i>

153
00:09:38,744 --> 00:09:42,707
<i>is so pristine and pure and ancient.</i>

154
00:09:44,750 --> 00:09:46,961
<i>It's like being in the womb</i>
<i>of Mother Earth.</i>

155
00:09:47,044 --> 00:09:48,754
<i>[bubbles roiling]</i>

156
00:09:49,463 --> 00:09:53,593
<i>There is something magical,</i>
<i>absolutely magical about that water.</i>

157
00:09:54,260 --> 00:09:56,262
<i>[enchanting music playing]</i>

158
00:10:00,891 --> 00:10:03,311
<i>[Barbara] I went in and saw the show,</i>

159
00:10:03,394 --> 00:10:06,856
<i>and I was just blown away.</i>

160
00:10:06,939 --> 00:10:08,774
<i>And I knew I had to do it.</i>

161
00:10:09,817 --> 00:10:12,612
<i>I walked into Weeki Wachee as a tourist.</i>

162
00:10:12,695 --> 00:10:16,866
{\an8}<i>I walked out of Weeki Wachee</i>
<i>at 13 as a transformed…</i>

163
00:10:17,742 --> 00:10:20,286
{\an8}<i>"Get out of my way.</i>
<i>I don't know how I'm gonna do that,</i>

164
00:10:20,369 --> 00:10:21,495
{\an8}<i>but it's gonna happen."</i>

165
00:10:21,579 --> 00:10:23,247
<i>[exciting music playing]</i>

166
00:10:23,331 --> 00:10:25,207
<i>[Crystal] I was 17 years old.</i>

167
00:10:25,291 --> 00:10:29,211
<i>And, at that time, a girl's place</i>
<i>was to be a wife and a mother.</i>

168
00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:32,590
<i>We were outside the box.</i>

169
00:10:33,174 --> 00:10:36,886
{\an8}<i>We were mermaids</i>
<i>before it was "the thing" to be a mermaid.</i>

170
00:10:38,012 --> 00:10:40,264
<i>We were the dream of the little girl.</i>

171
00:10:40,973 --> 00:10:44,935
<i>To me there was just nothing else like it.</i>
<i>I get goose bumps just talking about it</i>

172
00:10:45,019 --> 00:10:47,647
<i>'cause it's just really</i>
<i>so very special to me.</i>

173
00:10:48,481 --> 00:10:50,733
<i>Why do I need geometry?</i>
<i>I'm gonna be a mermaid.</i>

174
00:10:57,031 --> 00:10:58,282
<i>[music ends]</i>

175
00:11:03,371 --> 00:11:07,333
<i>[Arlene] I would do anything to be able</i>
<i>to go back into that fairy tale.</i>

176
00:11:17,635 --> 00:11:19,637
<i>[tense music builds slowly]</i>

177
00:11:24,225 --> 00:11:25,559
<i>[upbeat music plays]</i>

178
00:11:25,643 --> 00:11:28,688
<i>[Ché] I'm Mermaid Chè Monique.</i>
<i>I am a mermaid model</i>

179
00:11:28,771 --> 00:11:32,191
<i>and the founder</i>
<i>of the Society of Fat Mermaids,</i>

180
00:11:32,274 --> 00:11:37,071
{\an8}<i>which is a size-inclusive community</i>
<i>designed to celebrate fat bodies.</i>

181
00:11:37,154 --> 00:11:40,491
<i>Normally when I'm in a merspace,</i>
<i>people are really excited to see me.</i>

182
00:11:41,826 --> 00:11:44,662
<i>Everybody's so pretty!</i>

183
00:11:45,246 --> 00:11:50,084
<i>Like, it's not uncommon</i>
<i>for people to cry when they meet me.</i>

184
00:11:50,167 --> 00:11:51,085
<i>Excuse me…</i>

185
00:11:52,336 --> 00:11:53,921
<i>Are you Chè Monique?</i>

186
00:11:54,004 --> 00:11:55,172
<i>[Ché] I am.</i>

187
00:11:56,132 --> 00:12:00,803
<i>My family told me that</i>
<i>there was no such thing as a fat mermaid.</i>

188
00:12:00,886 --> 00:12:02,471
<i>[Ché] We know that's not true.</i>

189
00:12:02,555 --> 00:12:03,389
<i>I know!</i>

190
00:12:03,472 --> 00:12:08,269
<i>I follow you on TikTok, Instagram.</i>
<i>It's an honor to meet you.</i>

191
00:12:08,352 --> 00:12:09,812
<i>[Ché] Oh, thank you!</i>

192
00:12:09,895 --> 00:12:13,649
<i>You just make it okay for me to be me.</i>

193
00:12:14,233 --> 00:12:16,736
<i>-[Ché] Oh.</i>
<i>-And I love you for that. Can I hug you?</i>

194
00:12:16,819 --> 00:12:19,405
<i>[Ché] Absolutely! Thank you so much!</i>

195
00:12:19,488 --> 00:12:21,615
<i>-[fan] Thank you.</i>
<i>-[Ché] You're so sweet.</i>

196
00:12:21,699 --> 00:12:24,660
<i>I do a lot of, like,</i>
<i>what I call mertivational videos,</i>

197
00:12:24,744 --> 00:12:26,746
<i>where I might go on TikTok and be like…</i>

198
00:12:26,829 --> 00:12:28,289
<i>I love you all.</i>

199
00:12:28,372 --> 00:12:33,127
<i>I… love how dedicated we all are</i>

200
00:12:33,210 --> 00:12:35,421
<i>to making the larger world</i>

201
00:12:35,504 --> 00:12:40,926
<i>and our merworld a safe</i>
<i>and magical place for each other.</i>

202
00:12:42,136 --> 00:12:46,766
<i>These merjobs require so much of you.</i>

203
00:12:46,849 --> 00:12:49,685
<i>Like, from training</i>
<i>to just, like, the physical demand.</i>

204
00:12:49,769 --> 00:12:52,146
<i>And I've been working on,</i>
<i>like, my mermaid push-ups,</i>

205
00:12:52,229 --> 00:12:54,899
<i>doing tricep dips,</i>
<i>and doing everything I can,</i>

206
00:12:54,982 --> 00:12:58,319
<i>because I would love to join</i>
<i>the Circus Siren Pod.</i>

207
00:13:00,488 --> 00:13:04,325
{\an8}<i>They are like this elite</i>
<i>mermaid performance troupe.</i>

208
00:13:05,701 --> 00:13:07,203
<i>As a whole, they're intimidating.</i>

209
00:13:07,286 --> 00:13:09,163
<i>I used to call them</i>
<i>the mean girl mermaids.</i>

210
00:13:09,246 --> 00:13:13,042
<i>I decided, "If I'm going to be one,</i>
<i>I'd better stop calling them that."</i>

211
00:13:14,084 --> 00:13:16,420
<i>They kinda just</i>
<i>protect their brand in a way,</i>

212
00:13:16,504 --> 00:13:19,882
<i>and part of their brand is</i>
<i>that they are, like, exclusive and elite.</i>

213
00:13:19,965 --> 00:13:22,843
<i>But, like, they kind of are.</i>

214
00:13:22,927 --> 00:13:24,512
<i>[tense music builds slowly]</i>

215
00:13:25,721 --> 00:13:27,723
<i>[folksy guitar music plays]</i>

216
00:13:30,226 --> 00:13:35,314
{\an8}<i>I've always really railed against</i>
<i>the concept of being elite,</i>

217
00:13:35,397 --> 00:13:39,193
<i>and yet it seems to have happened anyway.</i>
<i>[chuckling] Whether I want it or not.</i>

218
00:13:41,946 --> 00:13:46,075
<i>I think what makes us different is just</i>
<i>that we really care about the art form</i>

219
00:13:46,158 --> 00:13:48,786
<i>and what artistry and magic</i>
<i>we're putting into the world.</i>

220
00:13:49,578 --> 00:13:51,789
<i>My performers are</i>
<i>more about creating a world</i>

221
00:13:51,872 --> 00:13:54,458
<i>the public's not gonna</i>
<i>get to experience anywhere else</i>

222
00:13:54,542 --> 00:13:57,169
<i>than about the personal</i>
<i>wish fulfillment of being mermaids.</i>

223
00:13:59,296 --> 00:14:02,591
<i>The reality of mermaiding</i>
<i>is it's really physically demanding,</i>

224
00:14:02,675 --> 00:14:05,845
<i>and it takes years of training</i>
<i>to do this properly.</i>

225
00:14:05,928 --> 00:14:07,721
<i>When you mermaid professionally,</i>

226
00:14:07,805 --> 00:14:11,767
<i>you are weighed down</i>
<i>by the tail and the water.</i>

227
00:14:11,851 --> 00:14:13,477
<i>You are unable to breathe.</i>

228
00:14:13,561 --> 00:14:16,897
<i>You are blind underwater.</i>
<i>You're deaf underwater.</i>

229
00:14:16,981 --> 00:14:20,192
<i>And your job is to make it look</i>
<i>easy and magical.</i>

230
00:14:21,527 --> 00:14:24,446
<i>-I thought that was pretty excellent.</i>
<i>-Well, thank you.</i>

231
00:14:24,530 --> 00:14:27,366
<i>[Morgana] Most people who get into</i>
<i>professional mermaiding are working</i>

232
00:14:27,449 --> 00:14:32,246
{\an8}<i>one to two other jobs to support</i>
<i>just the entry ramp into mermaiding.</i>

233
00:14:38,210 --> 00:14:39,712
<i>Shello!</i>

234
00:14:39,795 --> 00:14:40,754
<i>[woman 4] Oh, Mother.</i>

235
00:14:40,838 --> 00:14:43,090
<i>-Shello. Shello.</i>
<i>-[background laughter]</i>

236
00:14:43,173 --> 00:14:46,260
<i>[Morgana] It's only every couple of years</i>
<i>that we actually do auditions.</i>

237
00:14:46,343 --> 00:14:50,014
<i>If I had the work, I'd hire all of them.</i>
<i>I want everyone to live this dream,</i>

238
00:14:50,097 --> 00:14:53,058
<i>but I only have so many clients</i>
<i>and so many tanks to fill.</i>

239
00:14:53,559 --> 00:14:55,644
<i>All right, welcome to our auditions!</i>

240
00:14:55,728 --> 00:14:56,687
<i>[light cheering]</i>

241
00:14:56,770 --> 00:15:00,941
<i>Congratulations on making it this far.</i>
<i>There were 54 applicants,</i>

242
00:15:01,025 --> 00:15:03,485
<i>uh, and less than 20 of you</i>
<i>got invited to audition.</i>

243
00:15:03,569 --> 00:15:05,362
<i>It was already some fierce competition,</i>

244
00:15:05,446 --> 00:15:08,282
<i>and I'm really excited to see</i>
<i>what all you guys can do.</i>

245
00:15:08,782 --> 00:15:10,951
<i>Who knows the first rule of my company?</i>

246
00:15:11,035 --> 00:15:13,162
<i>-[woman 5] No dead mermaids.</i>
<i>-No dead mermaids.</i>

247
00:15:13,245 --> 00:15:14,079
<i>[light laughter]</i>

248
00:15:14,163 --> 00:15:16,874
<i>The first half is gonna be</i>
<i>a lot of just exertion,</i>

249
00:15:16,957 --> 00:15:19,835
<i>and, I'm going to be honest,</i>
<i>to wear you out a bit.</i>

250
00:15:19,919 --> 00:15:21,086
<i>What we do is pretty hard.</i>

251
00:15:21,170 --> 00:15:24,173
<i>I want to see that we've got</i>
<i>the endurance built up to get through it.</i>

252
00:15:24,256 --> 00:15:27,760
<i>All right, guys, you can go ahead</i>
<i>and get in your tail, and get in the pool.</i>

253
00:15:27,843 --> 00:15:30,262
<i>[rapid percussive music plays]</i>

254
00:15:30,346 --> 00:15:32,765
<i>Everybody in the deep end.</i>
<i>We're treading water.</i>

255
00:15:32,848 --> 00:15:36,810
<i>This is one of the most dangerous,</i>
<i>difficult art forms I've ever done.</i>

256
00:15:36,894 --> 00:15:40,314
<i>Here's what we're gonna be doing</i>
<i>this time. Backflip down the wall,</i>

257
00:15:40,397 --> 00:15:42,650
<i>underwater return.</i>
<i>All right, let's see it.</i>

258
00:15:43,233 --> 00:15:46,028
<i>At the level we're doing,</i>
<i>the depths we're doing it at,</i>

259
00:15:46,111 --> 00:15:49,740
<i>it takes an incredible amount of skill,</i>
<i>an incredible amount of training.</i>

260
00:15:49,823 --> 00:15:53,410
<i>This is a longer combination.</i>
<i>It's a three-skill combination.</i>

261
00:15:53,494 --> 00:15:55,162
<i>What I want is from the deep end,</i>

262
00:15:55,245 --> 00:15:57,665
<i>gonna do a pencil dive down,</i>
<i>so vertical entry,</i>

263
00:15:57,748 --> 00:16:01,502
<i>then I want a front flip</i>
<i>and barrel roll as you surface.</i>

264
00:16:12,888 --> 00:16:17,685
<i>All right, when you surface, you're gonna</i>
<i>put your hands on the side of the pool,</i>

265
00:16:17,768 --> 00:16:20,729
<i>and you're gonna lift up</i>
<i>and get your butt on the side of the pool.</i>

266
00:16:23,816 --> 00:16:27,194
<i>Other side. Very nice.</i>
<i>Thank you so much, number two.</i>

267
00:16:31,949 --> 00:16:33,158
<i>All right.</i>

268
00:16:33,993 --> 00:16:34,994
<i>Thank you.</i>

269
00:16:35,077 --> 00:16:37,079
<i>[mermaids clapping]</i>

270
00:16:37,579 --> 00:16:40,708
<i>You can go ahead</i>
<i>and de-tail, dry off, warm up.</i>

271
00:16:40,791 --> 00:16:43,210
<i>We're gonna meet</i>
<i>and discuss our observations.</i>

272
00:16:44,461 --> 00:16:47,506
<i>I would suggest maybe doing</i>
<i>weightlifting or something else</i>

273
00:16:47,589 --> 00:16:49,508
<i>to build the muscle and the endurance.</i>

274
00:16:49,591 --> 00:16:52,678
<i>I think it's mostly just</i>
<i>strength-building and polish.</i>

275
00:16:52,761 --> 00:16:56,515
<i>Your backstroke-backflip-return</i>
<i>was a little rough.</i>

276
00:16:56,598 --> 00:16:57,766
<i>-Okay.</i>
<i>-You got through it.</i>

277
00:16:57,850 --> 00:17:00,102
<i>Wait. Is that the time</i>
<i>I hit my face against the wall?</i>

278
00:17:00,185 --> 00:17:01,645
<i>-No, that was a different time.</i>
<i>-Okay.</i>

279
00:17:01,729 --> 00:17:05,858
<i>The biggest concern is being able</i>
<i>to lift yourself out of the pool.</i>

280
00:17:05,941 --> 00:17:09,278
<i>It's a strength and practice thing,</i>
<i>but for us, it's a safety thing</i>

281
00:17:09,361 --> 00:17:12,990
<i>'cause you have to be able to get out</i>
<i>of the tank under your own power.</i>

282
00:17:13,073 --> 00:17:15,075
<i>[light instrumental music playing]</i>

283
00:17:22,374 --> 00:17:25,753
<i>Mermaid tail-making</i>
<i>is still very much a cottage industry.</i>

284
00:17:25,836 --> 00:17:29,381
<i>And people get very loyal</i>
<i>to their tail-makers.</i>

285
00:17:29,465 --> 00:17:33,302
<i>There's even entire performance pods</i>
<i>where they specifically only ever use</i>

286
00:17:33,385 --> 00:17:36,847
<i>this tail-maker or that tail-maker,</i>
<i>and that's part of their look.</i>

287
00:17:37,556 --> 00:17:42,519
<i>Three of the bigger companies out there</i>
<i>are Merbella, MerNation, and Mertailor.</i>

288
00:17:43,062 --> 00:17:46,440
<i>And Mertailor was actually</i>
<i>one of my earlier inspirations.</i>

289
00:17:46,523 --> 00:17:48,942
<i>I remember before I bought</i>
<i>my first mermaid tail,</i>

290
00:17:49,026 --> 00:17:51,695
<i>looking at Mertailor's photos</i>
<i>and being like,</i>

291
00:17:51,779 --> 00:17:55,324
<i>"One day…</i>
<i>One day I will afford that kind of tail,</i>

292
00:17:55,407 --> 00:17:58,786
<i>and I will go to that artist,</i>
<i>and I'm going to get my tail."</i>

293
00:17:58,869 --> 00:18:00,871
<i>[tense music builds slowly]</i>

294
00:18:05,084 --> 00:18:07,086
<i>[chill music playing]</i>

295
00:18:07,169 --> 00:18:10,672
{\an8}<i>[Eric] I am Eric Ducharme.</i>
<i>Also known as the Mertailor.</i>

296
00:18:21,016 --> 00:18:24,061
<i>I would love to be the biggest</i>
<i>tail-maker in the entire world.</i>

297
00:18:31,652 --> 00:18:35,572
<i>I feel there's a sense</i>
<i>of creating the industry.</i>

298
00:18:35,656 --> 00:18:36,865
<i>[cameras clicking]</i>

299
00:18:41,078 --> 00:18:44,331
<i>And I want to see Mertailor on top.</i>

300
00:18:44,414 --> 00:18:46,917
<i>And be like, "Wow, Mertailor."</i>

301
00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:49,670
<i>"Mermaid tail, Mertailor.</i>
<i>Mermaid tail, Mertailor."</i>

302
00:18:50,254 --> 00:18:51,463
<i>I want to see that.</i>

303
00:18:51,547 --> 00:18:53,549
<i>[sprayer hissing]</i>

304
00:19:01,390 --> 00:19:02,975
<i>[dramatic music playing]</i>

305
00:19:03,559 --> 00:19:06,937
<i>I will never forget</i>
<i>my first visit to Weeki Wachee.</i>

306
00:19:09,857 --> 00:19:12,401
<i>I was sitting in the underwater theater.</i>

307
00:19:12,484 --> 00:19:15,237
<i>The hues of blue</i>
<i>just started trickling in,</i>

308
00:19:16,321 --> 00:19:17,948
<i>and all of a sudden…</i>

309
00:19:18,490 --> 00:19:20,492
<i>[shimmering tones]</i>

310
00:19:20,576 --> 00:19:22,578
<i>[enchanting music playing]</i>

311
00:19:22,661 --> 00:19:26,039
<i>I just was so captivated at that moment.</i>

312
00:19:27,833 --> 00:19:32,754
<i>And then this enchanting mermaid</i>
<i>just swam by and stopped, blew a kiss,</i>

313
00:19:32,838 --> 00:19:35,549
<i>and then more mermaids appear.</i>

314
00:19:36,592 --> 00:19:39,303
<i>And that was the ta-da moment.</i>

315
00:19:39,386 --> 00:19:41,388
<i>[bubbles roiling]</i>

316
00:19:41,889 --> 00:19:44,683
<i>That was the moment where</i>

317
00:19:45,684 --> 00:19:47,019
<i>I became the Mertailor.</i>

318
00:19:49,229 --> 00:19:52,316
<i>I was obsessed with Weeki Wachee Springs.</i>

319
00:19:52,816 --> 00:19:54,985
<i>I wanted to be there all the time.</i>

320
00:19:55,068 --> 00:19:59,156
<i>Mermaids became my entire life</i>
<i>at a really young age.</i>

321
00:20:00,574 --> 00:20:02,868
{\an8}<i>Growing up, Eric had a lot of challenges.</i>

322
00:20:04,536 --> 00:20:06,788
<i>[Eric] I was a very artistic child.</i>

323
00:20:07,831 --> 00:20:10,709
<i>[Candy] We realized early on</i>
<i>that Eric had Tourette's syndrome.</i>

324
00:20:12,044 --> 00:20:16,882
<i>[Eric] Classmates were very rude,</i>
<i>cruel, judgmental.</i>

325
00:20:17,966 --> 00:20:21,386
<i>I didn't have a lot of friends.</i>
<i>I just stayed away from people.</i>

326
00:20:26,767 --> 00:20:28,936
<i>[Candy] By about four or five,</i>

327
00:20:29,019 --> 00:20:32,147
<i>he was wrapping his legs up</i>
<i>with fabric of some sort.</i>

328
00:20:32,940 --> 00:20:35,234
<i>Then it became plastic bags and tape.</i>

329
00:20:37,986 --> 00:20:39,988
<i>[Eric] As the years went by,</i>

330
00:20:40,072 --> 00:20:42,366
<i>I started to get to know the mermaids</i>

331
00:20:42,449 --> 00:20:44,910
<i>through standing in the theater</i>
<i>and talking to them.</i>

332
00:20:44,993 --> 00:20:46,954
<i>It's like, "Oh, Eric's here again."</i>

333
00:20:47,037 --> 00:20:50,207
{\an8}<i>He was always hanging out</i>
<i>with us older girls.</i>

334
00:20:51,375 --> 00:20:54,336
<i>And it was sweet,</i>
<i>and we certainly took him in.</i>

335
00:20:55,128 --> 00:20:58,632
<i>He'd be there when we were</i>
<i>choreographing all of our numbers.</i>

336
00:20:59,258 --> 00:21:02,886
<i>[Eric] And I really wanted a tail.</i>
<i>I really wanted a tail.</i>

337
00:21:04,054 --> 00:21:08,058
<i>I met Barbara Wynns.</i>
<i>She was the mermaid queen.</i>

338
00:21:09,059 --> 00:21:12,437
{\an8}<i>The first time I met Eric,</i>
<i>I was sitting in the back of the theater.</i>

339
00:21:12,521 --> 00:21:15,774
<i>He walks up beside me</i>
<i>and he's sitting there going,</i>

340
00:21:15,857 --> 00:21:19,903
<i>"Miss Barbara, can I have a tail?"</i>
<i>And I'm like, "What?"</i>

341
00:21:20,570 --> 00:21:25,242
<i>[Eric] And I remember there was</i>
<i>a destroyed tail that had no zipper.</i>

342
00:21:25,742 --> 00:21:29,079
<i>I went to the scrap piles,</i>
<i>grabbed it out, and I said,</i>

343
00:21:29,162 --> 00:21:32,207
<i>"Put this in your backpack.</i>
<i>And don't you ever bring it back."</i>

344
00:21:33,166 --> 00:21:35,544
<i>[Eric] And I was just beyond thrilled.</i>

345
00:21:36,253 --> 00:21:39,798
<i>Brought it home, fixed it up,</i>
<i>and that became the tail.</i>

346
00:21:41,675 --> 00:21:43,343
<i>That's just how it started.</i>

347
00:21:45,804 --> 00:21:49,266
<i>When I had the ability</i>
<i>to sew and make tails,</i>

348
00:21:49,349 --> 00:21:51,018
<i>I would bring them for the girls.</i>

349
00:21:51,101 --> 00:21:54,187
<i>They would put on the tails</i>
<i>and wear them during the show,</i>

350
00:21:54,271 --> 00:21:56,315
<i>and they would bring them back to me.</i>

351
00:21:57,441 --> 00:22:02,029
<i>Then at 16, I was offered a position in</i>
<i>the underwater theater to be a performer.</i>

352
00:22:02,571 --> 00:22:05,073
<i>That was unheard of</i>
<i>because you had to be 18 years old</i>

353
00:22:05,157 --> 00:22:06,867
<i>to be a performer at Weeki Wachee.</i>

354
00:22:08,994 --> 00:22:10,996
<i>[uplifting music playing]</i>

355
00:22:15,625 --> 00:22:19,546
<i>I know I've watched this boy just evolve.</i>

356
00:22:20,881 --> 00:22:23,508
<i>And see this brilliance come out,</i>

357
00:22:23,592 --> 00:22:28,013
<i>and to see how calm</i>
<i>his body gets when he's in control.</i>

358
00:22:32,851 --> 00:22:37,314
<i>He's totally in command</i>
<i>of his body and of the Tourette's.</i>

359
00:22:39,649 --> 00:22:41,276
<i>You-- You would never know.</i>

360
00:22:54,664 --> 00:22:57,209
{\an8}<i>[Sparkles] At a very young age,</i>
<i>I started doing research on</i>

361
00:22:57,292 --> 00:22:59,669
{\an8}<i>how do I start this path.</i>

362
00:23:01,380 --> 00:23:04,341
<i>How do I become a Weeki Wachee mermaid?</i>

363
00:23:06,385 --> 00:23:08,387
<i>So, I emailed them directly.</i>

364
00:23:10,263 --> 00:23:12,307
<i>They never replied to me.</i>

365
00:23:15,060 --> 00:23:18,772
<i>And ultimately, eventually,</i>
<i>it evolved past just Weeki Wachee.</i>

366
00:23:18,855 --> 00:23:23,110
<i>It became more of a personal</i>
<i>career path that I dream of.</i>

367
00:23:26,238 --> 00:23:27,489
<i>[knocking at door]</i>

368
00:23:33,537 --> 00:23:35,497
<i>-Hey!</i>
<i>-Hey. Thank you so much for doing this.</i>

369
00:23:35,580 --> 00:23:36,456
<i>[man] Yeah, totally.</i>

370
00:23:36,540 --> 00:23:39,000
<i>[Sparkles] Okay,</i>
<i>so here's your pirate hat.</i>

371
00:23:39,084 --> 00:23:41,336
<i>I have your little bag</i>
<i>of pirate loot here.</i>

372
00:23:41,420 --> 00:23:42,504
<i>[man] Some doubloons.</i>

373
00:23:42,587 --> 00:23:45,674
<i>You can give that away</i>
<i>to kids freely if they approach you.</i>

374
00:23:47,217 --> 00:23:48,427
<i>-Oh!</i>
<i>-[Sparkles] Oh, wait.</i>

375
00:23:48,510 --> 00:23:50,595
<i>-The handle just snapped off.</i>
<i>-[Sparkles] Dang it!</i>

376
00:23:50,679 --> 00:23:52,097
<i>That's gonna make it really hard.</i>

377
00:23:52,180 --> 00:23:54,391
<i>-[pensive music plays]</i>
<i>-[Sparkles grunts]</i>

378
00:23:54,474 --> 00:23:56,435
<i>[Sparkles] As a mermaid in Arkansas,</i>

379
00:23:56,518 --> 00:24:00,313
<i>there's really just</i>
<i>not much work here for me.</i>

380
00:24:00,981 --> 00:24:04,443
<i>But whenever</i>
<i>I really put myself out there,</i>

381
00:24:04,526 --> 00:24:06,695
<i>I can get party gigs.</i>

382
00:24:06,778 --> 00:24:09,281
<i>But they don't really pay the bills.</i>

383
00:24:10,866 --> 00:24:13,243
<i>This is where it gets tricky.</i>
<i>We've arrived a little late,</i>

384
00:24:13,326 --> 00:24:17,289
<i>and I'm already seeing kids,</i>
<i>and I really don't like them to see me</i>

385
00:24:18,039 --> 00:24:19,624
<i>before I get my tail on.</i>

386
00:24:20,834 --> 00:24:22,210
<i>[children squealing]</i>

387
00:24:22,294 --> 00:24:23,795
<i>[girl] Over here!</i>

388
00:24:23,879 --> 00:24:25,380
<i>[children chattering]</i>

389
00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:31,845
<i>[Sparkles] So you can pull</i>
<i>the zipper up by using the string.</i>

390
00:24:31,928 --> 00:24:34,055
<i>Once the zipper is all the way to the top,</i>

391
00:24:34,139 --> 00:24:38,351
<i>you want to tuck…</i>
<i>this back into the tail, okay?</i>

392
00:24:38,435 --> 00:24:39,269
<i>Okay.</i>

393
00:24:47,027 --> 00:24:48,028
<i>All right.</i>

394
00:24:51,740 --> 00:24:53,408
<i>I got the string right here.</i>

395
00:24:53,492 --> 00:24:54,493
<i>Here.</i>

396
00:24:55,243 --> 00:24:56,244
<i>Here.</i>

397
00:24:57,454 --> 00:24:58,955
<i>-[Sparkles] Oh no, did it break?</i>
<i>-Yeah.</i>

398
00:24:59,039 --> 00:25:02,584
<i>[Sparkles groans] Why is everything</i>
<i>breaking today? I'll figure it out.</i>

399
00:25:02,667 --> 00:25:06,588
<i>[man] No, like, it came off the zipper.</i>
<i>Like, um, the zipper broke on one side.</i>

400
00:25:06,671 --> 00:25:08,173
<i>[Sparkles gasps] Shut up.</i>

401
00:25:08,256 --> 00:25:09,758
<i>[man] No, like, seriously.</i>

402
00:25:09,841 --> 00:25:12,052
<i>[Sparkles] No… way.</i>

403
00:25:12,552 --> 00:25:13,512
<i>[sighs]</i>

404
00:25:13,595 --> 00:25:14,971
<i>[children chattering]</i>

405
00:25:15,055 --> 00:25:16,806
<i>[Sparkles] There's no way to fix that.</i>

406
00:25:18,099 --> 00:25:20,060
<i>Are you kidding me right now?</i>

407
00:25:20,143 --> 00:25:21,686
<i>[man] You live 15 minutes away.</i>

408
00:25:21,770 --> 00:25:24,439
<i>I can run home… run to your place</i>
<i>and grab another one.</i>

409
00:25:24,523 --> 00:25:25,357
<i>[sighs]</i>

410
00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:27,776
<i>-[keys jangling]</i>
<i>-You're gonna need my house key.</i>

411
00:25:29,277 --> 00:25:33,156
<i>-Oh my God. This is horrible.</i>
<i>-[man] Okay, here. I'll run, real quick.</i>

412
00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:34,366
<i>-I'll be back.</i>
<i>-[sighs]</i>

413
00:25:39,162 --> 00:25:40,372
<i>[sighs deeply]</i>

414
00:25:42,666 --> 00:25:44,876
<i>I don't know what she's doing.</i>

415
00:25:45,877 --> 00:25:47,003
<i>Um…</i>

416
00:25:51,883 --> 00:25:54,094
<i>It looks like she's kind of stressed out.</i>

417
00:25:54,928 --> 00:25:58,306
<i>Mermaid lesson one thousand,</i>
<i>one million, gazillion.</i>

418
00:25:58,848 --> 00:26:01,351
<i>Always bring an extra tail to a paid gig.</i>

419
00:26:01,434 --> 00:26:02,477
<i>Always.</i>

420
00:26:02,561 --> 00:26:05,772
<i>-[kids] Mermaid, mermaid, mermaid!</i>
<i>-I found another one.</i>

421
00:26:05,855 --> 00:26:08,733
<i>Oh my gosh.</i>
<i>All these kids are gonna leave.</i>

422
00:26:08,817 --> 00:26:11,111
<i>They're gonna leave</i>
<i>before the mermaid comes out.</i>

423
00:26:13,446 --> 00:26:17,826
<i>It's broken. I can't… I can't wear it.</i>
<i>And I can't go out there without the tail.</i>

424
00:26:17,909 --> 00:26:21,913
<i>Without the tail, I'm just a girl</i>
<i>in a wig and some leggings.</i>

425
00:26:24,666 --> 00:26:26,668
<i>[gentle music playing]</i>

426
00:26:27,877 --> 00:26:29,671
<i>I always wanted to be a mermaid.</i>

427
00:26:30,630 --> 00:26:33,049
<i>Though it wasn't easy for me growing up.</i>

428
00:26:34,009 --> 00:26:37,679
<i>My mom and dad divorced</i>
<i>when I was just a baby,</i>

429
00:26:37,762 --> 00:26:41,725
<i>and my dad went into prison</i>
<i>when I was pretty young.</i>

430
00:26:43,602 --> 00:26:46,730
<i>The weight of the world can be so intense.</i>

431
00:26:46,813 --> 00:26:48,565
<i>You know, day-to-day life,</i>

432
00:26:49,441 --> 00:26:52,235
<i>and Mermaid Sparkles</i>
<i>is an escape from all that.</i>

433
00:26:57,824 --> 00:27:03,747
<i>It really makes me feel like I'm making</i>
<i>a difference in the world somehow.</i>

434
00:27:06,791 --> 00:27:10,295
<i>I feel like I have purpose.</i>

435
00:27:12,589 --> 00:27:15,133
<i>I feel like a ray of sunshine.</i>

436
00:27:20,013 --> 00:27:23,475
<i>[kids] Mermaid, mermaid, mermaid!</i>

437
00:27:23,558 --> 00:27:24,976
<i>All right.</i>

438
00:27:25,060 --> 00:27:26,978
<i>Oh my God. Thank God. Thank God.</i>

439
00:27:27,062 --> 00:27:28,063
<i>[man] Here we go.</i>

440
00:27:29,356 --> 00:27:31,066
<i>[tail zipping up]</i>

441
00:27:31,149 --> 00:27:34,194
<i>Alrighty, y'all, are we ready to see</i>
<i>Sparkles the Mermaid come out?</i>

442
00:27:34,277 --> 00:27:35,236
<i>[kids cheering]</i>

443
00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:38,239
<i>Y'all got to make sure she can hear you.</i>
<i>Can she hear you? Come on!</i>

444
00:27:38,323 --> 00:27:40,158
<i>Make sure she can hear you. There we go.</i>

445
00:27:40,992 --> 00:27:41,951
<i>All right.</i>

446
00:27:42,035 --> 00:27:43,370
<i>-[Sparkles] Careful.</i>
<i>-Yep.</i>

447
00:27:43,453 --> 00:27:44,412
<i>[Sparkles] Duck.</i>

448
00:27:44,996 --> 00:27:47,791
<i>Duck down. There we go.</i>

449
00:27:47,874 --> 00:27:50,043
<i>Shello!</i>

450
00:27:50,126 --> 00:27:51,920
<i>You look even prettier!</i>

451
00:27:52,003 --> 00:27:53,713
<i>[Sparkles] Oh my goodness! Thank you!</i>

452
00:27:53,797 --> 00:27:55,799
<i>[overlapping excited chatter]</i>

453
00:27:56,424 --> 00:27:58,635
<i>["Am I Dreaming?" playing]</i>

454
00:27:58,718 --> 00:28:00,595
<i>Well, are we ready to swim?</i>

455
00:28:00,679 --> 00:28:01,638
<i>Yeah!</i>

456
00:28:01,721 --> 00:28:04,808
<i>♪ Am I Dreaming? ♪</i>

457
00:28:05,308 --> 00:28:07,936
<i>-♪ Dreaming ♪</i>
<span style="style1">-That is a pearl.</i>

458
00:28:08,019 --> 00:28:10,355
<i>Do you know pearls are made in clams?</i>

459
00:28:10,438 --> 00:28:11,606
<i>[song continues]</i>

460
00:28:19,781 --> 00:28:22,534
<i>[Sparkles] When I see</i>
<i>all the children's smiling faces</i>

461
00:28:22,617 --> 00:28:26,496
<i>and just the way their eyes light up,</i>
<i>it really is a special experience.</i>

462
00:28:30,875 --> 00:28:33,670
<i>Special experiences</i>
<i>don't pay the bills though.</i>

463
00:28:34,671 --> 00:28:39,134
<i>So if I really want to be</i>
<i>a professional mermaid and pursue this,</i>

464
00:28:39,801 --> 00:28:42,429
<i>I may just… have to move.</i>

465
00:28:44,347 --> 00:28:49,227
<i>♪ Dreaming ♪</i>

466
00:28:49,310 --> 00:28:50,812
<i>[song fades out]</i>

467
00:28:53,273 --> 00:28:56,776
<i>[Eric] Weeki Wachee was</i>
<i>really having a hard time financially.</i>

468
00:28:57,277 --> 00:29:00,739
{\an8}<i>And then the state came</i>
<i>in and swooped in and bought it.</i>

469
00:29:02,157 --> 00:29:05,243
<i>When the state came, they're like,</i>
<i>"You can't do this. It's unsafe."</i>

470
00:29:05,326 --> 00:29:06,870
<i>"You can't do that. It's unsafe."</i>

471
00:29:07,454 --> 00:29:09,873
<i>For example, there's an underwater tube</i>

472
00:29:09,956 --> 00:29:13,251
<i>that the performers would jump in</i>
<i>to enter in and out of the theater.</i>

473
00:29:16,296 --> 00:29:21,009
{\an8}<i>And it went down 16 feet,</i>
<i>and then it went out 60 feet.</i>

474
00:29:22,969 --> 00:29:24,888
<i>[woman 6 chuckling] I hated that tunnel.</i>

475
00:29:24,971 --> 00:29:27,348
<i>And it teaches you to face your fear.</i>

476
00:29:27,432 --> 00:29:30,810
{\an8}<i>Because I really</i>
<i>did not like small spaces.</i>

477
00:29:37,192 --> 00:29:39,903
<i>[Arlene] So I dropped down</i>
<i>and went into one of the airlocks,</i>

478
00:29:39,986 --> 00:29:44,532
<i>which is basically a metal box upside down</i>
<i>with compressed air being pumped in.</i>

479
00:29:45,408 --> 00:29:48,828
<i>Well… something went wrong</i>
<i>with the compressor during the night.</i>

480
00:29:48,912 --> 00:29:51,247
<i>So, when we got in there, we both decided</i>

481
00:29:51,331 --> 00:29:53,541
<i>it was time for us</i>
<i>to head for the surface,</i>

482
00:29:53,625 --> 00:29:56,169
<i>'cause there wasn't any air</i>
<i>to be had down there.</i>

483
00:30:01,966 --> 00:30:03,259
<i>It was really tough.</i>

484
00:30:04,803 --> 00:30:07,514
<i>[male narrator] </i><span style="style2">Anthea prepares</i>
<span style="style2">her student for the deep dive</i>

485
00:30:07,597 --> 00:30:12,101
<i>to the bottom of the spring</i>
<i>117 feet below the surface.</i>

486
00:30:12,185 --> 00:30:15,063
<i>Equal to the height</i>
<i>of a ten-story building.</i>

487
00:30:16,523 --> 00:30:20,652
<i>Inhaling air from the hose,</i>
<i>and then forcing air into the mask</i>

488
00:30:20,735 --> 00:30:23,696
<i>to balance the increasing</i>
<i>pressure on their ears.</i>

489
00:30:24,489 --> 00:30:26,491
<i>[Jo] The only reason I left Weeki Wachee</i>

490
00:30:26,574 --> 00:30:29,536
<i>was because I kept having</i>
<i>nose and ear infections</i><span style="style2">,</i>

491
00:30:30,578 --> 00:30:34,082
<i>and I was spending</i>
<i>too much time at the doctor's office.</i>

492
00:30:35,083 --> 00:30:39,838
<i>Basically, it was too dangerous</i>
<i>for me to continue.</i>

493
00:30:40,839 --> 00:30:42,340
<i>If you can't clear your ears,</i>

494
00:30:42,423 --> 00:30:44,759
<i>you blow all</i>
<i>the blood vessels in your face.</i>

495
00:30:44,843 --> 00:30:49,138
{\an8}<i>I've had multiple ear infections,</i>
<i>multiple sinus infections,</i>

496
00:30:49,222 --> 00:30:53,268
<i>probably swam at times</i>
<i>that sinus-wise I probably shouldn't have.</i>

497
00:30:55,353 --> 00:30:58,481
<i>[Eric] I came down with</i>
<i>a really severe sinus infection,</i>

498
00:30:58,565 --> 00:31:01,776
<i>and I was told by management</i>
<i>at Weeki Wachee</i>

499
00:31:01,860 --> 00:31:04,237
<i>that if I decided not to come into work,</i>

500
00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:06,823
<i>I would be fired</i>
<i>no matter what doctor said.</i>

501
00:31:06,906 --> 00:31:09,826
<i>So my dad called up, talked to my boss,</i>

502
00:31:09,909 --> 00:31:12,287
<i>then my dad was like,</i>
<i>"Fine. Well, he's done."</i>

503
00:31:12,370 --> 00:31:14,706
<i>So my dad essentially resigned for me.</i>

504
00:31:14,789 --> 00:31:17,709
<i>So I was never fired</i>
<i>from Weeki Wachee. I quit.</i>

505
00:31:20,003 --> 00:31:22,422
<i>And I remember crying</i>

506
00:31:23,464 --> 00:31:26,551
<i>because I didn't think</i>
<i>my time at Weeki Wachee was done,</i>

507
00:31:27,218 --> 00:31:28,553
<i>but it was done.</i>

508
00:31:31,723 --> 00:31:33,224
<i>[Candy] And he was not happy.</i>

509
00:31:34,809 --> 00:31:36,019
<i>He was very sad.</i>

510
00:31:38,646 --> 00:31:42,108
<i>[Eric] There is absolutely</i>
<i>nothing else in the world</i>

511
00:31:42,191 --> 00:31:43,985
<i>like swimming in Weeki Wachee.</i>

512
00:31:45,236 --> 00:31:47,238
<i>The springs are magical.</i>

513
00:31:47,780 --> 00:31:49,616
<i>They're pristine.</i>

514
00:31:53,036 --> 00:31:56,247
<i>And you can say that you don't have</i>

515
00:31:56,331 --> 00:31:58,499
<i>the desire to go back,</i>

516
00:31:59,626 --> 00:32:01,628
<i>but deep down inside,</i>

517
00:32:02,378 --> 00:32:06,007
<i>the feeling of swimming</i>
<i>in the springs and performing</i>

518
00:32:07,717 --> 00:32:11,429
<i>will always be there</i>
<i>in the pit of your heart.</i>

519
00:32:12,180 --> 00:32:13,348
<i>Always.</i>

520
00:32:16,893 --> 00:32:20,480
<i>[Candy] Sometimes we can't get back</i>
<i>those special things.</i>

521
00:32:21,189 --> 00:32:23,691
<i>And maybe that's why he works so hard.</i>

522
00:32:24,192 --> 00:32:26,611
<i>To try to get back what he had there.</i>

523
00:32:29,155 --> 00:32:30,031
<i>Or better.</i>

524
00:32:31,199 --> 00:32:32,283
<i>Or better.</i>

525
00:32:35,119 --> 00:32:38,039
<i>[Eric] Even before I was a teenager</i>
<i>and working at Weeki Wachee,</i>

526
00:32:38,122 --> 00:32:40,750
<i>I was always trying to figure out</i>
<i>how I could have my own</i>

527
00:32:40,833 --> 00:32:42,251
<i>world of Weeki Wachee.</i>

528
00:32:42,335 --> 00:32:46,172
{\an8}<i>So I was always trying to figure out how</i>
<i>Eric could have his own mermaid show.</i>

529
00:32:54,055 --> 00:32:56,224
<i>Two years ago, we bought this building.</i>

530
00:32:57,016 --> 00:33:00,144
<i>It had been a furniture store</i>
<i>for the last 25 years.</i>

531
00:33:01,145 --> 00:33:02,230
<i>You know, one might say,</i>

532
00:33:02,313 --> 00:33:06,609
<i>"How are you gonna turn that</i>
<i>metal building into this magical oasis?"</i>

533
00:33:07,235 --> 00:33:09,404
<i>And my answer would be like, "Watch me."</i>

534
00:33:10,113 --> 00:33:12,615
<i>[upbeat percussive music playing]</i>

535
00:33:12,699 --> 00:33:14,450
<i>The back will be production.</i>

536
00:33:15,326 --> 00:33:17,912
<i>The front's going to be</i>
<i>an educational aquarium.</i>

537
00:33:19,038 --> 00:33:22,500
<i>And eventually, we're gonna</i>
<i>put a tank and do mermaid shows.</i>

538
00:33:24,544 --> 00:33:26,963
<i>[Candy] I can tell Eric's getting antsy.</i>

539
00:33:27,046 --> 00:33:28,881
<i>He's ready for the next thing.</i>

540
00:33:30,049 --> 00:33:34,178
<i>And the next thing is… a tank.</i>

541
00:33:34,262 --> 00:33:36,597
<i>-[chime dings]</i>
<i>-[slow, tense music plays]</i>

542
00:33:38,599 --> 00:33:42,520
<i>[Candy] It is really scary</i>
<i>because this is a very expensive project.</i>

543
00:33:42,603 --> 00:33:45,565
<i>This tank is well over $100,000.</i>

544
00:33:47,275 --> 00:33:50,028
{\an8}<i>Last night he said,</i>
<i>"I've been waiting for so long</i>

545
00:33:50,111 --> 00:33:51,696
{\an8}<i>for this to finally happen."</i>

546
00:33:51,779 --> 00:33:53,698
<i>It's everything to him.</i>

547
00:33:53,781 --> 00:33:57,326
<i>Ever since I met him,</i>
<i>that's all he's ever dreamed about,</i>

548
00:33:57,410 --> 00:34:00,580
<i>was just being able</i>
<i>to have that tank to do shows.</i>

549
00:34:01,664 --> 00:34:05,543
<i>We hadn't done a dry run</i>
<i>to take this building apart yet.</i>

550
00:34:05,626 --> 00:34:08,087
<i>[power tools whirring]</i>

551
00:34:08,171 --> 00:34:12,133
<i>I'm panicking that we are not gonna</i>
<i>be able to get the tank in the building.</i>

552
00:34:19,182 --> 00:34:21,601
<i>But what I was thinking of most</i>

553
00:34:22,101 --> 00:34:24,020
<i>was how Eric would feel</i>

554
00:34:24,103 --> 00:34:27,023
<i>if this didn't go the way</i>
<i>it was supposed to go.</i>

555
00:34:28,232 --> 00:34:29,192
<i>[Eric shouts]</i>

556
00:34:29,275 --> 00:34:30,443
<i>[worker 1] Done!</i>

557
00:34:30,526 --> 00:34:31,527
<i>All right.</i>

558
00:34:33,362 --> 00:34:36,032
<i>Oh, no, they're not</i>
<i>gonna roll it like that.</i>

559
00:34:36,991 --> 00:34:38,868
<i>[worker 2] Here. For now, go here.</i>

560
00:34:38,951 --> 00:34:40,453
<i>What about here, bub?</i>

561
00:34:40,536 --> 00:34:41,996
<i>-Is it gonna make it?</i>
<i>-[worker 2] Yes.</i>

562
00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:44,624
<i>-Take it down a bit.</i>
<i>-[worker 3] I had to twist the other one.</i>

563
00:34:44,707 --> 00:34:47,251
<i>Go straight for now.</i>
<i>Get that other one in here.</i>

564
00:34:47,335 --> 00:34:49,796
<i>-We'll have to pick it up again.</i>
<i>-[worker 3] All right.</i>

565
00:34:52,173 --> 00:34:54,759
<i>When they finally</i>
<i>got it into the building,</i>

566
00:34:55,343 --> 00:34:56,677
<i>it fit perfectly.</i>

567
00:34:58,679 --> 00:35:01,224
<i>Got it lined up</i>
<i>into the space on the wall.</i>

568
00:35:01,307 --> 00:35:03,309
<i>[cheerful music playing]</i>

569
00:35:20,243 --> 00:35:22,078
<i>[Eric] I asked Barbara if she'd come.</i>

570
00:35:22,161 --> 00:35:24,664
<i>I wanted her to be part of it.</i>
<i>I wanted her to be there.</i>

571
00:35:24,747 --> 00:35:26,791
<i>She was always at Weeki Wachee,</i>

572
00:35:26,874 --> 00:35:29,127
<i>and I wanted her</i>
<i>to be part of the aquarium.</i>

573
00:35:29,961 --> 00:35:31,921
<i>You know, she got me into the water.</i>

574
00:35:35,508 --> 00:35:37,135
<i>[Eric laughing]</i>

575
00:35:39,637 --> 00:35:40,888
<i>[indistinct chatter]</i>

576
00:35:43,432 --> 00:35:45,560
<i>I didn't think it was gonna be big enough.</i>

577
00:35:45,643 --> 00:35:47,562
<i>-What?</i>
<i>-I didn't think it'd be big enough.</i>

578
00:35:47,645 --> 00:35:50,690
<i>-I know. I'm gonna send it back.</i>
<i>-You can do pin rolls in there.</i>

579
00:35:50,773 --> 00:35:52,775
<i>I'm gonna send it back</i>
<i>and get a bigger one.</i>

580
00:35:52,859 --> 00:35:54,569
<i>-You what?</i>
<i>-[chuckling]</i>

581
00:35:55,278 --> 00:35:56,946
<i>[Eric] She was the mermaid queen.</i>

582
00:35:57,822 --> 00:36:00,908
<i>She still loves Weeki Wachee deep inside.</i>

583
00:36:00,992 --> 00:36:03,995
<i>-Okay, now I might cry with you.</i>
<i>-[tearfully] I know.</i>

584
00:36:04,495 --> 00:36:06,622
<i>[Eric] I think this is big.</i>

585
00:36:06,706 --> 00:36:09,792
<i>-[woman 7] I think it's big too.</i>
<i>-[Eric] It's ample space.</i>

586
00:36:09,876 --> 00:36:12,211
<i>-[woman 7] I love it.</i>
<i>-[Eric] It's ample space.</i>

587
00:36:12,295 --> 00:36:15,047
<i>-[woman 7] I'm so excited!</i>
<i>-Okay, water now. [chuckles]</i>

588
00:36:16,841 --> 00:36:18,926
<i>[Candy] It was a beautiful moment.</i>

589
00:36:19,010 --> 00:36:20,636
<i>It was an exciting moment.</i>

590
00:36:23,931 --> 00:36:24,932
<i>You did good.</i>

591
00:36:26,267 --> 00:36:28,853
<i>You did good. I'm proud of you, boy.</i>

592
00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:31,355
<i>My little seven-year-old merman.</i>

593
00:36:31,439 --> 00:36:34,817
<i>"Miss Barbara,</i>
<i>you got a tail I could have?"</i>

594
00:36:35,526 --> 00:36:38,154
<i>I think the person</i>
<i>that's gonna be in that tank</i>

595
00:36:38,237 --> 00:36:40,698
<i>that first day</i>
<i>is gonna be that little you.</i>

596
00:36:40,781 --> 00:36:42,742
<i>-Probably.</i>
<i>-Your little mini-me.</i>

597
00:36:42,825 --> 00:36:46,787
<i>The excitement's getting there.</i>
<i>It's not 100%. There's no water yet.</i>

598
00:36:47,288 --> 00:36:48,289
<i>Till tonight.</i>

599
00:36:48,372 --> 00:36:49,665
<i>[calming music plays]</i>

600
00:37:09,018 --> 00:37:12,021
<i>[Eric] All of these dreams</i>
<i>as a child are just unfolding.</i>

601
00:37:18,903 --> 00:37:23,157
<i>And now, I want to create</i>
<i>my own world of mermaids.</i>

602
00:37:25,493 --> 00:37:29,830
<i>I want to create</i>
<i>the best underwater performances ever.</i>

603
00:37:38,381 --> 00:37:39,840
<i>Oh my gosh.</i>

604
00:37:40,424 --> 00:37:42,969
<i>-That tank is so gorgeous.</i>
<i>-It's beautiful.</i>

605
00:37:43,052 --> 00:37:47,181
<i>I like the little stingray theme thing</i>
<i>that they've got going on.</i>

606
00:37:47,682 --> 00:37:49,809
<i>[Sparkles] How many gallons</i>
<i>did we say that was?</i>

607
00:37:49,892 --> 00:37:54,522
<i>[Pixi] Thirteen thousand gallons</i>
<i>of Caribbean salt water.</i>

608
00:37:54,605 --> 00:37:56,232
<i>[Sparkles] That is epic!</i>

609
00:37:56,315 --> 00:37:57,358
<i>Oh…</i>

610
00:37:57,441 --> 00:38:00,486
<i>If I could live under there,</i>
<i>I'd never leave.</i>

611
00:38:00,569 --> 00:38:01,529
<i>[both chuckle]</i>

612
00:38:03,114 --> 00:38:06,784
<i>[Sparkles] Eric the Mertailor is huge</i>
<i>in the mermaid community.</i>

613
00:38:06,867 --> 00:38:07,868
<i>He's so epic.</i>

614
00:38:07,952 --> 00:38:10,663
<i>He is opening up his own mermaid aquarium</i>

615
00:38:10,746 --> 00:38:14,041
<i>where he's going to be</i>
<i>throwing his own mermaid shows.</i>

616
00:38:16,585 --> 00:38:18,504
<i>And he's holding auditions.</i>

617
00:38:19,171 --> 00:38:20,006
<i>[exhales]</i>

618
00:38:20,089 --> 00:38:21,674
<i>[calm, gentle music plays]</i>

619
00:38:21,757 --> 00:38:23,092
<i>And I'm going for it.</i>

620
00:38:24,302 --> 00:38:28,764
<i>I've never swam in a tank before,</i>
<i>and I'm really, really, really excited.</i>

621
00:38:35,604 --> 00:38:40,359
<i>There are mermaids coming from</i>
<i>all around the country to these auditions.</i>

622
00:38:41,861 --> 00:38:44,655
<i>Everyone wants to be a Mertailor mermaid.</i>

623
00:38:45,740 --> 00:38:48,367
<i>So the competition</i>
<i>is going to be really stiff.</i>

624
00:38:48,868 --> 00:38:50,870
<i>[calm, gentle music continues]</i>

625
00:39:00,838 --> 00:39:02,840
<i>[pensive music playing]</i>

626
00:39:06,385 --> 00:39:08,471
<i>[Eric] Good morning, everybody.</i>
<i>My name is Eric.</i>

627
00:39:08,554 --> 00:39:10,890
<i>I'm really excited</i>
<i>to have you all here today.</i>

628
00:39:11,390 --> 00:39:13,726
<i>I've waited 15 years for this very moment</i>

629
00:39:13,809 --> 00:39:17,646
<i>to audition the first group of people</i>
<i>to be performers for Mertailor.</i>

630
00:39:18,564 --> 00:39:21,984
<i>Today's auditions have nothing to do</i>
<i>with mermaid tails.</i>

631
00:39:22,068 --> 00:39:26,072
<i>It has to do with your individual</i>
<i>comfortability in the water.</i>

632
00:39:26,155 --> 00:39:28,157
<i>When I see you underwater,</i>

633
00:39:28,240 --> 00:39:32,328
<i>if I feel like I have a connection</i>
<i>through the window,</i>

634
00:39:32,411 --> 00:39:34,205
<i>then that's how I choose.</i>

635
00:39:35,206 --> 00:39:38,501
<i>If you're in the water</i>
<i>and I find that you're freaking out,</i>

636
00:39:38,584 --> 00:39:40,669
<i>I'm gonna ask you to get out of the water,</i>

637
00:39:40,753 --> 00:39:43,005
<i>and at that time</i>
<i>your audition will be over,</i>

638
00:39:43,089 --> 00:39:45,758
<i>and then you'll be asked</i>
<i>to leave the premises. Okay?</i>

639
00:39:45,841 --> 00:39:47,676
<i>-All right. You guys ready?</i>
<i>-Yes.</i>

640
00:39:47,760 --> 00:39:49,762
<i>[pensive music intensifies]</i>

641
00:39:50,513 --> 00:39:52,056
<i>Anybody been in a tank before?</i>

642
00:39:52,139 --> 00:39:53,015
<i>-Anybody?</i>
<i>-No.</i>

643
00:39:53,099 --> 00:39:55,267
<i>-So this is everybody's first?</i>
<i>-Yep.</i>

644
00:40:01,816 --> 00:40:05,027
<i>[spectator] Does anyone know</i>
<i>how many spots they're hiring for?</i>

645
00:40:05,111 --> 00:40:07,780
<i>-[mermaid 3] I have no clue.</i>
<i>-It's like The Mermaid Games.</i>

646
00:40:08,364 --> 00:40:10,324
<i>May the best fish win!</i>

647
00:40:10,408 --> 00:40:12,118
<i>[Eric] All right.</i>

648
00:40:12,201 --> 00:40:16,789
<i>Let's send in the first three individuals.</i>

649
00:40:16,872 --> 00:40:19,333
<i>[woman 7] All right, one, two, and three…</i>

650
00:40:21,419 --> 00:40:24,880
<i>Oh, it's also salt water too,</i>
<i>so way different.</i>

651
00:40:26,465 --> 00:40:28,592
<i>[Eric] I want you to try it one more time.</i>

652
00:40:28,676 --> 00:40:31,971
<i>Keep that back leg</i>
<i>towards the back of the tank, bent.</i>

653
00:40:32,471 --> 00:40:34,598
<i>Bent. Straight, not bent.</i>

654
00:40:34,682 --> 00:40:38,561
<i>When you do this right,</i>
<i>you should be in excruciating pain.</i>

655
00:40:39,353 --> 00:40:42,481
<i>[Eric on PA] </i><span style="style2">You have two minutes</i>
<span style="style2">if your number's on the tank.</i>

656
00:40:42,565 --> 00:40:43,732
<i>I'm Tristan.</i>

657
00:40:43,816 --> 00:40:44,942
<i>I'm Sparkles.</i>

658
00:40:45,025 --> 00:40:45,901
<i>-Sparkles?</i>
<i>-Yes.</i>

659
00:40:45,985 --> 00:40:48,279
<i>-I think I follow you on Instagram.</i>
<i>-Oh, you do?</i>

660
00:40:48,362 --> 00:40:50,072
<i>-What's your merman name?</i>
<i>-Red River Merman.</i>

661
00:40:50,156 --> 00:40:52,533
{\an8}<i>I noticed when the aquarium</i>
<i>opened in January,</i>

662
00:40:52,616 --> 00:40:54,743
{\an8}<i>that he said</i>
<i>there were gonna be auditions.</i>

663
00:40:54,827 --> 00:40:57,788
<i>So, then very quickly,</i>
<i>I zeroed in on every video</i>

664
00:40:57,872 --> 00:41:00,291
<i>of Eric doing underwater ballet,</i>

665
00:41:00,374 --> 00:41:03,836
<i>and then I just, like, blasted</i>
<i>the internet and my Instagram</i>

666
00:41:03,919 --> 00:41:07,506
<i>with, like, copying him,</i>
<i>like, literally move for move,</i>

667
00:41:07,590 --> 00:41:11,218
<i>just, like, trying to give him a résumé,</i>
<i>you know, every time.</i>

668
00:41:11,302 --> 00:41:14,513
<i>And, uh, every time</i>
<i>he likes one of my videos,</i>

669
00:41:14,597 --> 00:41:17,224
<i>it lights my world up.</i>

670
00:41:17,308 --> 00:41:19,226
<i>I'm the dude with all the ballet videos.</i>

671
00:41:19,310 --> 00:41:21,437
<i>Okay. Aw… Do you actually dance ballet?</i>

672
00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:23,147
<i>-[Tristan] Yeah.</i>
<i>-[Sparkles] Epic.</i>

673
00:41:24,356 --> 00:41:28,027
<i>-[woman 7] Dolphin is a straight leg.</i>
<i>-This is the one where I lock my knees.</i>

674
00:41:28,110 --> 00:41:30,488
<i>-[woman 7] All the way around.</i>
<i>-All the way around.</i>

675
00:41:30,571 --> 00:41:32,698
<i>[woman 7] Pinwheel,</i>
<i>same thing, all the way around.</i>

676
00:41:35,910 --> 00:41:36,911
<i>Great job.</i>

677
00:41:38,287 --> 00:41:41,123
<i>Try it again. Keep your legs together.</i>

678
00:41:41,207 --> 00:41:44,418
<i>Try to be relaxed</i>
<i>and don't look like a duck. [chuckles]</i>

679
00:41:45,753 --> 00:41:48,172
<i>This is not gonna work.</i>

680
00:41:48,255 --> 00:41:52,843
<i>We can send in the next group.</i>
<i>That would be fantastic.</i>

681
00:41:58,682 --> 00:42:00,309
<i>She just lost a nail.</i>

682
00:42:00,809 --> 00:42:02,811
<i>The fish are trying to eat it.</i>

683
00:42:02,895 --> 00:42:05,814
<i>Hey, Chelsea.</i>
<i>Do you see the nail that's floating?</i>

684
00:42:05,898 --> 00:42:08,859
<i>The parrotfish.</i>
<i>One of the parrotfish have it.</i>

685
00:42:08,943 --> 00:42:11,654
<i>He spit it out. Thank you.</i>

686
00:42:12,154 --> 00:42:14,573
<i>-This can't be real life.</i>
<i>-[Sparkles] I know.</i>

687
00:42:14,657 --> 00:42:17,243
<i>About to jump in the tank</i>
<i>for the first time ever!</i>

688
00:42:17,743 --> 00:42:20,120
<i>I don't know whether to cry</i>
<i>or laugh or melt.</i>

689
00:42:21,288 --> 00:42:24,416
<i>[Tristan] I'm more nervous</i>
<i>about the Weeki Wachee mermaid.</i>

690
00:42:24,500 --> 00:42:25,918
<i>She's, like, mermaid royalty.</i>

691
00:42:26,001 --> 00:42:27,253
<i>[Sparkles] Oh, I know.</i>

692
00:42:27,336 --> 00:42:29,505
<i>Perfect. Perfect.</i>

693
00:42:32,007 --> 00:42:33,551
<i>[woman 8] Oh, I love her arms.</i>

694
00:42:33,634 --> 00:42:35,636
<i>Oh, did you see her turn?</i>

695
00:42:35,719 --> 00:42:37,972
<i>Know how many people</i>
<i>can't turn in the water?</i>

696
00:42:38,055 --> 00:42:40,224
<i>[Eric] All right, ladies,</i>
<i>thank you so much.</i>

697
00:42:40,766 --> 00:42:42,560
<i>We're gonna bring in the next two.</i>

698
00:42:43,143 --> 00:42:45,062
<i>[pensive music continues]</i>

699
00:42:46,981 --> 00:42:50,609
<i>[Sparkles] This is</i>
<i>literally my wildest dream.</i>

700
00:42:57,533 --> 00:42:58,909
<i>Let's see what you got.</i>

701
00:43:03,998 --> 00:43:05,583
<i>["Am I Dreaming?" plays]</i>

702
00:43:05,666 --> 00:43:08,836
<i>♪ Am I dreaming? ♪</i>

703
00:43:09,545 --> 00:43:12,381
<i>♪ Dreaming ♪</i>

704
00:43:12,464 --> 00:43:17,761
<i>♪ Dreaming ♪</i>

705
00:43:17,845 --> 00:43:21,181
<i>♪ 'Cause I'm sitting on a cloud</i>
<i>Can't believe my life ♪</i>

706
00:43:21,265 --> 00:43:24,101
<i>♪ If this is a dream</i>
<i>Please don't wake me up ♪</i>

707
00:43:24,184 --> 00:43:27,021
<i>♪ Am I dreaming? ♪</i>

708
00:43:27,104 --> 00:43:29,940
<i>♪ Dreaming ♪</i>

709
00:43:31,275 --> 00:43:32,860
<i>[singer vocalizing]</i>

710
00:43:36,447 --> 00:43:41,619
<i>♪ Dreaming ♪</i>

711
00:43:42,536 --> 00:43:44,538
<i>[song fades out]</i>