Hannah Pearl, 44, from Bristol, is a qualified free diver, scuba diver and holder of an official mermaid licence from one of the world's first mermaid schools. The heatwave has caused her mermaid business to boom, with summer events and parties keeping her busier than ever.
Pearl owns three colourful mermaid tails, each worth £300 and made from swimsuit material. She also creates her own outfits from recycled materials collected during beach litter picks.
More than a swimmer
Alongside swimming, a big part of being a professional mermaid is conservation work. Pearl educates children about the ocean and helps them protect it. She has written two eco children's books, volunteers at local libraries for mermaid storytelling sessions, and goes out regularly on beach litter cleans.
"I have been a mermaid since I was born - and honestly I always believed I could be one," she said. "Being underwater is crabulous for me. A huge part of what I do is help children fall in love with the ocean, and make them aware of the incredible marine life that is worth protecting."
"There is no better way for kids to learn than to hear this from someone who is from the ocean. Summer is definitely busier with kids events and parties - many more people are visiting beaches and swimming in the sea due to the heatwaves."
She added: "It's so important to protect our beaches and ensure people take litter home and participate in safe swimming following RNLI advice."
From the Great Barrier Reef to mermaid school
Pearl learnt to swim at the age of three and took up scuba diving when she was 25, on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. After falling in love with diving, she attended the Philippine Mermaid Swimming Academy in 2017, one of the world's first pioneering mermaid schools, to obtain her mermaid licence.
She also attended the UK's first mermaid camp, where she learned to pose underwater with a tail, free dive and host mermaid diving parties for children.
"Scuba diving underwater with a mermaid tail is actually quite difficult. But if you ever get to try it I would really recommend," Hannah said.
Ocean heroes and eco actions
Pearl was crowned Mrs Ocean World UK 2026 at a national pageant centred on conservation and environmental action. Her published children's books follow a marine warrior mermaid who tackles problems such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and ghost nets.
She has also released a free online children's game, Little Ocean Rescue, which raises money for the Marine Conservation Society UK, the Paul Watson Foundation and the Two Minute Foundation.
"Children are the future ocean heroes," she said. "It's about spreading that important message whilst making it fun and engaging. We protect what we love."
For those wanting to be more sustainable, her tips include taking an extra bag on a walk to collect litter, joining a local beach clean group, stopping eating fish and swapping out one plastic item per month.
"It's not about being perfect but making small changes and being a conscious consumer!" she added.
