(romantic violin music)

(laughter)

- Did we get it?

(jazzy saxophone)

- My name is Rachel Smith.

I am the head mermaid at the Dive Bar

in Sacramento, California.

It's a bar that hosts a 40-foot saltwater aquarium.

And we have mermaid shows every single night.

As a woman, I think mermaids appeal to me

because they're part of two worlds.

Ocean and land.

You're not clearly quite sure where you belong,

but you're still this confident and

alluring sort of creature.

Today, I'm gonna be training two fabulous ladies

and transforming them into mermaids.

- We are excited.

- And scared.

I don't believe in merdaids.

I hope today, that changes.

- Everyone wanted to be Ariel growin up,

and now, I will finally be the brown Ariel.

- When I train the girls today,

I think there'll be some surprises.

- It looks so graceful and pretty.

And their hair looks perfect even though it's under water.

- Oh no.

- Being a professional mermaid is

actually a lot of hard work.

It's athletic.

The tails can be up to 35 pounds.

- Wait, so how do we get in?

- The water is often very cold.

- My ovaries are shutting down!

- You have to swim with grace and strength.

Today will probably change their lives.

Michelle, - Two outfits.

- I brought these lovely shells for you.

Dot, we're gonna have you in this lovely,

seaweedy top.

- You know, I can't say that

I've worn anything like this before.

- I can say I've dreamed of wearing things like this.

- And of course, you both get your mermaid crowns

- Oh, I'm claiming this one.

I feel fishy already.

- Mermaid makeup is super challenging

because it has to stay on underwater.

- My face is blinged out. Bling Bling.

- I feel like the rainbow fish.

- Okay ladies.

It's time to fin up.

- Oh no.

Now we can't walk anywhere.

- No, you can't walk. You have to swim.

- This is the tightest pair of pants

I've ever put on.

It won't go over my butt.

- Oh my god. You look like a mermaid.

(excited screaming)

- A tail wave for the camera.

- Hi guys.

- [Dot] You talkin stuff?

- Get the (bleep) out of here. - Get out my face.

See, the hips don't lie.

(giggling)

- You look fine, Dot.

- I look fine, girl?

Okay, we need to take a photo shoot.

- So, the thing about posing as a mermaid,

you really wanna rotate your shoulders back and down.

- Oh my god. I feel sexier just doing it.

- Always, always point your toes.

This is a person, this is a mermaid.

- We're officially mermaids, people.

- We just have to swim now.

- We're gonna learn the basic mermaid swim.

Nice and slow.

- Really, swimming is just twerking.

- Twerk, twerk.

- Yes, Michelle.

Yes, Michelle.

- Almost.

- [Rachel] So much of being a professional mermaid

is looking great while you are so uncomfortable.

We're gonna learn bubble kisses.

Put your hand on your mouth.

Make a nice, tight seal.

And then you're gonna throw your bubbles forward.

Like that.

- I cannot. I jus't can't.

- Whoo, I see those bubbles.

- Last thing I wanted to try with you guys was a tail stand.

- I'll try the handstand, but I need a circle around me,

and a lifeguard.

- There you go.

(cheering)

- We did it. - No, you did.

- We're mermaids.

- You have to be coordinated and athletic.

I am neither,

but I now see that it takes a lot of work.

- I felt sexy.

Underwater, not above.

Because when I got above water,

I was like, "Oh shit. I'm like drowning."

I have so much respect for

the women and men who

practice mermaidism.

- I'm never ever in my life going to forget this.

- It's here. It's here.

- [All] It's here!

- It's here.

- [All] It's here.

- Get it. - Get it.

- Get it. - There.

- I think they got it.

- Yeah, you get it.

- It's here.