For most, the idea of being a mermaid conjures up images of fantasy and wonder -graceful swimmers gliding through the water, dazzling audiences with shimmering tails and choreographed routines.
But for a growing number of women recruited to work as professional mermaids in China and South Korea, the reality is far from enchanting.
Instead, they claim they are being subjected to grueling, near-slave-like conditions, forced to perform for hours on end in hazardous environments, and denied medical care – all for a pittance in pay.
According to the SHOT channel on Telegram, swimmers have been subject to diving up to 70 times a day, even with injuries that they are forbidden to treat in hospital.
Just under two months ago, one real-life mermaid suffered horrific wounds in an unprecedented attack launched by a giant fish while she performed in front of families and small children.
Having a sturgeon chomp down on her head, she was left with facial wounds but cruel bosses allegedly made her get straight back into the water before she made a full recovery.
Figures last year showed a worrying rise in the number of men and women signing themselves up to be mythical divers with the world’s first international professional mermaid competition held last year in Shanghai.
But as brave performers now appear to be shedding light on the true conditions of their job, just one question remains – how many others are still trapped beneath the surface?
A Russian mermaid was left injured in January after a giant fish clasped its huge jaws around her face while she was performing in a tank
New footage that emerged on Russian news Telegram channel SHOT saw underwater performers swimming in front of onlookers
According to the SHOT channel on Telegram, swimmers have been subject to diving up to 70 times a day, even with injuries that they are forbidden to treat in hospital
Treated like machines
Maria, a sprint swimmer from Russia, arrived in South Korea in 2024 after signing what seemed like a fair contract to work as a mermaid performer in an aquarium.
She was promised a structured schedule – five shows a day, one day off per week, and a salary of 1.8 million Korean won (roughly £1,100).
But soon after starting the job, it became clear that these promises were meaningless.
‘No one cared about the contract,’ Maria revealed to the SHOT Telegram news channel.
‘We had to dive 70 times a day. It was exhausting. I constantly had headaches, and injuries were common. But no one listened to our complaints.’
The brutal schedule was not the only concern.
The mermaids were forced to share their tanks with sea creatures whose secretions, she said, were toxic and caused skin reactions and respiratory issues.
Things then took a terrifying turn when Maria was rushed to hospital after sustaining an injury during a performance.
But before she could even recover, she was dragged straight back onto the show schedule.
It was too much to bear.
In a desperate bid for freedom from similar circumstances, five mermaids staged an escape, fleeing a South Korean aquarium in 2024.
Photos of wounds suffered by the divers have emerged on Russian social media as some claim they have been victims of slavery in China
Mermaids have come forward to claim they are expected by their employers to push through the pain and exhaustion even if they are wounded
One image on the SHOT post showed an individual looked up to medical equipment
A nightmare in China
For mermaids working in China, conditions are just as dire.
The demand for performers is so high that there are never enough workers to cover shifts.
This means sick leave is simply not an option – no matter how ill or injured a performer may be, according to the SHOT report.
And the dangers go beyond exhaustion and toxic waters. In the Chinese province of Yunnan, a huge sturgeon attacked a Russian mermaid mid-performance on January 28, 2025.
The giant fish clamped down on the woman’s face in front of a group of terrified children at the Xishuangbanna Primitive Forest Park, in China.
The ‘mermaid’, known only as 22-year-old Russian performer Masha, was seen in footage gliding through water in an aquarium tank while wearing a bikini top and monotail.
Masha waved at onlooking families who had brought their children to watch her underwater performance, but as she slowly reached the surface, the massive creature appeared above her.
It then clasped its jaws around her face which caused people in the audience to scream out in terror as they watched the ordeal unfold before their eyes.
The 22-year-old diver was seen in an aquarium tank gliding through the water while wearing a bikini top and tail before she was attacked
Miraculously, the ‘mermaid’ managed to escape the sturgeon’s powerful bite and quickly rose to the surface as onlookers held their breath.
The huge underwater beast ate Masha’s goggles and nose clips, leaving her head, neck and eye wounded, local reports claimed.
Images of the aquatic performer following the disaster showed her with red scratches and deep purple bruises on her left eyelid.
While sturgeons do not have teeth, the powerful fish left the woman with concerning abrasions, sparking fears that workers are being placed in life-threatening situations for the sake of entertainment.
Reports in the Russian media at the time said the woman was forced back into the aquarium despite being in agony from her neck wound.
She was offered some £78 in ‘moral damages’ after the attack but was barred from talking about it as her bosses at Xishuangbanna Primitive Forest Park tried to ‘cover up’ the incident.
The ‘mermaid’, known only as 22-year-old Russian performer Masha, wounded her head, neck and eye, according to reports
Trapped in a watery prison
What was meant to be a dream job for many of these women has become a waking nightmare.
They say they are treated like machines, expected to push through pain and exhaustion, all while working in filthy, unsafe conditions.
With no official protections, no medical leave, and no way to escape once inside the system, the so-called mermaids are left to suffer in silence.
For some, the only way out is to run.
Speaking to Lenta.Ru in July 2023, Daria, 26, said: ‘If a person wants to become a mermaid, they must understand that this is first and foremost a job.
‘At some point, you definitely won’t find it cool to swim four times a day because of fatigue, temperature changes, stress.
‘The pleasure of swimming can disappear, the fairy tale can dissolve, and it will turn into a routine’.
Daria revealed her friend Alina had to train in a monofin for two years before receiving her first contract as it takes getting used to.
But the physical challenges do not stop here for these women.
The mermaids perform underwater tricks and complex movements for their large audiences
For many mermaids, the only way out of the profession is to allegedly run away as they are not free to resign on their own terms
Smiling and waving at their audience, some workers have claimed there are high standards for their appearance while they are in the tank
In the industry, there is a huge focus on appearance and the women must adhere to strict beauty standards.
‘Both in Korea and China, appearance is very important for a mermaid, so the selection is based on photos and videos,’ Daria explained.
Despite the apparently harsh and strict standards, the sport still remains a popular one in China.
Last year, an underwater visual feast by nearly 100 athletes from China and abroad was presented at Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park in the Pudong New Area.
The athletes were competing in the 2024 China Mermaid Open & International Mermaid Competition and attracted divers from countries including China, South Korea, and Kazakhstan.
Two athletes from south China’s Guangdong Province were crowned the male and female champions after fierce competition.
