For most, the idea of being a mermaid shouts images of fantasy and wonder -speed swimmers sliding through the water, dazzling audience with glittering 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 that they are being subjected to debilitating, near-slave-like circumstances, forced to perform for hours in dangerous environments and medical care for a reward.
According to the Shot Canal on Telegram, swimmers are subject to diving up to 70 times a day, even with injuries they are forbidden to treat in the hospital.
A little less than two months ago, a real-life mermaid suffered horrible wounds in an unprecedented attack that was launched by a giant fish while performing for families and small children.
Because she walked a sturgeon on her head, she was left with face wounds, but cruel bosses reportedly brought her back into the water before she completely recovered.
Figures Last year showed a worrying increase in the number of men and women who register as mythical divers with the first international professional Merma -Merma competition in the world that was held in Shanghai last year.
But because brave artists now seem to shed light on the true circumstances of their work, there is only one question – how many others are still stuck under the surface?
A Russian mermaid was wounded in January after a gigantic fish held his huge jaws around her face while she performed in a tank
New images that emerged on Russian news Telegram Channel Shot saw underwater artists swim for spectators
According to the Shot Canal on Telegram, swimmers are subject to diving up to 70 times a day, even with injuries they are forbidden to treat in the hospital
Treated as machines
Maria, a sprint swimmer from Russia, arrived in Zuid -Korea in 2024 after signing what an honest contract seemed to work as a mermaid artist in an aquarium.
She was promised a structured schedule – five shows a day, one day off a week, and a salary of 1.8 million Korean won (around £ 1,100).
But shortly after the start of the job it became clear that these promises were useless.
“Nobody cared for the contract,” Maria revealed to the Shot Telegram News Channel.
'We had to dive 70 times a day. It was tiring. I had a constant headache and injuries were common. But nobody listened to our complaints. '
The brutal schedule was not the only care.
The mermaids were forced to share their tanks with marine animals whose secretions, she said, were toxic and caused skin reactions and breathing problems.
Things then took a frightening turn when Maria was taken to the hospital after an injury during a performance.
But before she could even recover, she was immediately towed back to the show schedule.
It was too much to wear.
In a desperate bid for freedom of comparable circumstances, five mermaids made an escape, which in 2024 fled a South Korean aquarium.
Photos of wounds suffered by the divers originated on Russian social media, because some claim that they have been the victim of slavery in China
Mermaids have emerged to claim that they are expected by their employers to penetrate pain and exhaustion, even if they are injured
One image on the shot post showed that a person looked up to medical equipment
A nightmare in China
For mermaids who work in China, the circumstances are just as terrible.
The demand for artists is so high that there are never enough employees to cover services.
This means that sick leave is simply not an option – it doesn't matter how sick or injured an 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 middle performance on January 28, 2025.
The gigantic fish clamped on the face of the woman for a group of terrified children in the Primitive Forest Park of Xishuangbanna, in China.
The 'mermaid', only known as the 22-year-old Russian artist Masha, was seen in images that glide through water into an aquarium tank while wore a bikini summit and monotail.
Masha waved to justified families who had taken their children to see her underwater performance, but while she slowly reached the surface, the enormous orphan appeared above her.
Then it struck his face, so that people in the audience shouted in fear while they looked the test before their eyes how they unfolded.
The 22-year-old diver was seen in an aquarium tank that slid through the water as he wore a bikini and tail before she was attacked
Miraculously, the 'mermaid' managed to escape the powerful bite of the sturgeon and quickly came to the surface while spectators held their breath.
The huge beast under water ate the glasses and neuclips from Masha, leaving her head, neck and eye injured, local reports claimed.
Images of the aquatic artist after the disaster showed her with red scratches and deep purple bruises on her left eyelid.
Although sturgeon has no teeth, the powerful fish left the woman with regard to scrapes, causing the fear that employees are placed in life -threatening situations because of entertainment.
Reports in the Russian media said at the time that the woman was forced back in the aquarium despite the fact that she was of her neck wound.
After the attack, she was offered about £ 78 in 'moral damage', but was excluded from talking about it, because her bosses in Xishuangbanna Primitive Forest Park tried to 'hide' the incident.
The 'mermaid', only known as the 22-year-old Russian artist Masha, injured her head, neck and eye, according to reports
Caught in a watery prison
What was meant as a dream job for many of these women has become a awake nightmare.
They say they are treated as machines, which is expected to penetrate pain and exhaustion, all while working in dirty, unsafe circumstances.
Without official protection, no medical leave and no way to escape once in the system, the so -called mermaids are left behind to suffer in silence.
For some, the only way out is to run.
In July 2023, Daria, 26 with Lenta.ru, said: 'If a person wants to become a mermaid, they must understand that this is primarily a job.
'At a certain point you will certainly not find it cool to swim four times a day due to fatigue, temperature changes, stress.
“The pleasure of swimming can disappear, the fairy tale can solve and it will be a routine.”
Daria revealed that her friend Alina had to train in a Monofin for two years before she received her first contract because it wants it.
But the physical challenges do not stop here for these women.
The mermaids carry out underwater tricks and complex movements to their general public
For many mermaids, the only way out of the profession is said to run away because they are not free to resign on their own conditions
Smiling and waving at their audience, some employees claimed that 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 have to adhere to strict beauty standards.
“Both in Korea and in China, the appearance is very important for a mermaid, so the selection is based on photos and videos,” explains Daria.
Despite the seemingly hard and strict standards, the sport still remains a popular in China.
Last year a visual party under water from nearly 100 athletes from China and abroad was presented in Shanghai HaiCean Park in the Pudong New Area.
The athletes competed in the China Mermaid Open & International Mermaid competition from 2024 and attracted divers from countries such as China, South Korea and Kazakhstan.
Two athletes from the province of Guangdong in South China were crowned the male and female champions after fierce competition.
