Course Catalog

Pre-Registration Required
Instructor: Jessie Jewels

1 Hour
Saturday 1PM – 2PM
Main Pool – Lanes 1-2

Prerequisites:
– Strong Independent Swimmer
– Ages 12+

Required Equipment:
– Tail and Monofin
– Goggles or Mask

This workshop is geared towards those newer to mermaiding. We will explore basic skills and practices you can drill during your swim meets or practice time. Getting comfortable in the water, basic swimming and underwater posing techniques. I’ll answer questions and help folks as needed. First time in a tail? That’s ok too!

Instructor: Mermaid Brooke Adair

1 Hour
Sunday 10AM – 11AM
2nd Floor – Lanes 1-2

Required Equipment:
– Yoga Mat or Towel to Lay On

Learn to love holding your breath! Learn the science behind and tools and techniques to extend your breathhold!

We will start with a dive into the science of holding your breath and explore the tools and techniques to extend your breath hold. Most importantly learn to have fun while holding your breath!

Taught by Mermaid Brooke Adair, life coach, freediver, and pilates instructor. You will walk away with more confidence and learn to enjoy yourself even when you can’t breathe! This is a dry breathholding class and is not a freediving class. It is designed to help participants of all backgrounds build familiarity and comfort with holding their breath. 

Instructor: Laura Jones – The Sykesville Siren

1 Hour
Saturday 11AM – 12PM
2nd Floor – Classroom A

While mermaiding is inherently risky, you can mitigate that risk with a well stocked save-a-mer kit! Learn about potential emergencies a mer can encounter and how to be prepared for (almost) anything. This course is valuable for mers at every skill level.

Lead by Morgana Alba

1 Hour
Sunday 4pm – 5pm
Ground Floor – Main Stage

Join us at the main stage for announcements, raffle drawing winners, announcements, and a first look at next year!

Lead by Morgana Alba

1 Hour
Sunday 10am – 11am
Ground Floor – Coffee Shop

Early Mer Gets the worm! Have questions about working in the mermaid industry? Meet professional mermaids from around the country for coffee, Network with other industry pros and get advice in this informal settings.

Pre-Registration Required
Instructor: Opal Whiptail

1 Hour
Saturday 4pm – 5pm
2nd Floor – Classroom B

Required Equipment:
– Conch Shell Horn
You may bring your own or purchase one from Opal Whiptail in advance for delivery during class.
Order your horn here. 

Explore the different types of conch and whelks, the history of making the conch, its connection to various cultures, and learn how to use one in your performance!

Instructor: Laura Jones – The Sykesville Siren

1 Hour
Sunday 10AM – 11AM
Kids Play Area

Details coming soon!

Instructor: Leigh Targaryen
Kids’s Programming

1 Hour
Sunday 2:30pm – 3:30pm
2nd Floor – Kids Play Area

Required Equipment:
– Wear clothing that is comfortable to move around in

Kick off your flippers and put on your dancing shoes or sport your human bare feet and join Miss Leigh in an underwater dance adventure. Children will start their journey with some gentle stretches and warm-ups while we prepare to delve into the sea to explore the movements of many aquatic friends. There will be dance games, songs, and stories. At the end there will be a mermazing dance party in the Octopus’ Garden. Don’t miss out on this fun and active panel!

Pre-Registration Required
Instructors: Merfolk Nettles and Captain Kayse

2 Hours
Sunday 9am – 11am
2nd Floor – Classroom B

Prerequisites:
– Ages 18+

Join Merfolk Nettles and Captain Kayse to play an underwater-themed Dungeons and Dragons adventure. As adventurers from different Merfolk communities converge, danger lurks in the ocean. Can they protect each other from the threat? What creatures will they encounter along the way? Find the answers to these questions and dip your fins into tabletop gaming. Two adventures will be available for play in each session: Rescue in the Reef (from Mermagicon 2024) and Trouble in the Trench (a new adventure for 2025).

No previous experience with tabletop is necessary, but the game is only available to those 18+. All materials will be provided during the game, but players should feel welcome to bring their own dice/miniature/gaming tray/sketch of their character, etc. Character sheets will be available for multiple classes, but players will have the ability to customize their name and appearance within the confines of the game. The game will be played in the current edition of Dungeons and Dragons.

1 Hour
Saturday 1pm – 2pm
Ground Floor – Main Stage

Join a panel of Merfolk from all walks of life for a discussion on the trials, tribulations, and challenges facing the mermaid community today as we all strive to create a more inclusive world.

Lead By: Mermaid Chè Monique

1 Hour
Saturday 2:30pm -3:30pm
Ground Floor – Main Stage

Join the Society of Fat Mermaids for a fun panel discussion moderated by their founder, Mermaid Chè Monique, discussing their experiences as fat merfolk with have plenty of time for Q&A, so bring your questions.

This panel will discuss what it’s like breaking into the findustry. Their experiences working, how to cultivate a supportive online community, as well as tangible things like tail shopping, getting around on land, and buoyancy control. The conversation will be recorded for the Society of Fat Mermaids podcast, Fat Mermaids Make Waves.

Instructor: Cassie Parsons

1 Hour
Saturday 1pm – 2pm
2nd Floor – Classroom A

When performing on land or in the water, there is a certain gracefulness and flow that is useful to really give off that ethereal water creature vibe. Having an intro to dance gives you a practice of that flow and body positioning that you can take with you into your mermaiding.

Instructor: Mermaid Charlotte

1 Hour
Sunday 1pm – 2pm
2nd Floor – Classroom B

When something goes wrong with your tail, do you know what to do? Join Mermaid Charlotte as we discuss some the most common tail injuries and how to fix them.

This class will demonstrate how to approach and repair common tail injuries, such as:
– attaching or reattaching torn fins
– waist seam splits on silicone tails
– reattaching lost scales
– patching or repairing fabric tails
– working with pigmented silpoxy to repair paint scuffs

Lead by “The Enchanted Teapot“
Kid’s Programming

1 Hour
Sunday 10am – 11am
Pool Deck – Leisure Pool

Splash around with a couple of live mermaids! Take photos and get all your mermaid questions answered during this poolside meet and greet!

Lead by “The Enchanted Teapot“
Kid’s Programming

1 Hour
Saturday 2:30pm – 3:30pm
2nd Floor – Kid’s Play Area

Meet and greet with the 1989 version of the mermaid princess! Bring magic to life for your little one with sinagalongs, dancing, story time and photos.

Lead by “The Enchanted Teapot“

Kid’s Programming

1 Hour
Saturday 9:30am – 10:30am
2nd Floor – Kid’s Play Area

Meet and greet with the wayfinder princess! Bring magic to life for your little one with sinagalongs, dancing, story time and photos.

Instructor: Leigh Targaryen
Kids’s Programming

Prerequisites:
– This class is designed for ages 8 and up

1 Hour
Saturday 4pm – 5pm
2nd Floor – Kids Play Area

Required Equipment:
– Wear clothing that is comfortable to move around in
– Water bottle and Yoga Mat recommended

Get you fins, phalanges, and flukes ready for the water with this movement and conditioning class.  Mermaid Sealeigh will take you through exercises geared to help build  the strength and flexibility important for mermaiding.  

From the Creators of “The Enchanted Teapot“
Kid’s Programming

1 Hour
Sunday 1pm – 2pm
2nd Floor – Kid’s Play Area

From the magic specialists at The Enchanted Teapot comes this MerMagic Con – exclusive party with interactive nautical activities for the whole family!

Instructor: Mermaid Brizo
Kid’s Programming

1 Hour
Saturday 11am – 12pm
2nd Floor – Kids Play Area

Come on an adventure to discover our Oceans! Mermaid Brizo is inviting Explorers to join her as we learn about her home! Our oceans are vast and full of things to discover. During this one hour show, children will get the chance to play in hands-on activities, sing songs, and read books all with the Barnegat Bay Mermaid! Catch up with Mermaid Brizo before she swims back to the sea!

Lead by “The Enchanted Teapot“
Kids’s Programming

1 Hour
Sunday 11:30am – 12:30pm
2nd Floor – Kids Play Area

Join us on dry land to take photos with a real live mermaid! Ask all your questions and get some answers! 

Lead by “The Enchanted Teapot“
Children’s Programming

1 Hour
Saturday 1pm – 2pm
2nd Floor – Kids Play Area

Join us on dry land to take a photos with a real live mermaid and do a free craft! Ask all your questions and get some answers! 

Instructor: Captain Ironman
INCLUDED WITH THE OBSERVER PASS

1 Hour
Sunday 1pm – 2pm
2nd Floor – Classroom A

When you see those pirates, bouncers and hawkers standing by and announcing a wonderful mermaid performer, do you think “I could do that!”. Come learn from two of the most experienced merwanglers in the country on the how to, when to, and why to’s of the job as well as a lot of our not so secret secrets to make it as pleasant and successful as possible!

Merwrangling 101 covers the basics of “icthiosapien” care from two of the talented pirates that have been doing it the longest. Learn what it takes to make a gig go from a slapdash event to a smoothly running machine in this basic class

Instructor: Captain Ironman
INCLUDED WITH THE OBSERVER PASS

1 Hour
Sunday 2:30pm – 3:30pm
2nd Floor – Classroom A

When you see those pirates, bouncers and hawkers standing by and announcing a wonderful mermaid performer, do you think “I could do that!”. Come learn from two of the most experienced merwanglers in the country on the how to, when to, and why to’s of the job as well as a lot of our not so secret secrets to make it as pleasant and successful as possible!

In Merwrangling 201 your favorite “icthiosapien logistics specialists” return for a advanced class of care and feeding of our fishy friends. Building on 101 we discuss persona, professionalism, and how not to kill yourselves while lifting carrying and depositing.

Instructor: MerBeast Irie

1 Hour

Session Options:
Saturday: 9:30 – 10:30
Sunday: 10:00 – 11:00

Ground Floor – Main Stage

Recommended Equipment:
– Water Bottle
– Yoga Mat
– It is recommended you eat before attending

Before mermaid spend their entire day swimming and using more energy than they are used to, it is a good idea to a stretch to prevent cramps or injury.

Join this daily morning stretch that covers a whole-body range of stretches recommended by certified personal trainer, MerBeast Irie.  Drop in for as little or as much of these sessions as you like to start your day off on the right fin!

Instructor: Yl’luria Watersong

1 Hour
Saturday 2:30PM – 3:30PM
Main Pool – Lanes 1&2

Details Coming Soon!

Lead by Mermaid Brizo

1 Hour
Sunday 2:30pm – 3:30pm
Ground Floor – Main Stage

Join us for a fun and educational game of Ocean Trivia! All ages welcome. Let’s learn together!

This is a great activity for the whole family. Even if you don’t know the answers, we are all going to learn together. Make a team or a join a team.

Instructor: Dennis Carter Jr.

1 Hour
Sunday 1pm – 2pm
Ground Floor – Main Stage

A Presentation from Dennis Carter Jr of the Crazy Carter Hollywood Museum featuring screen used props and costumes from Hollywood movies and beyond with a nautical theme curated exclusively for Mer Magic Con. See, learn, and even touch original movie, tv, and theme park prop and costume pieces. Hear some interesting and some even bizarre stories about various props and costumes from major films and TV shows including Disney’s Pirates of the Carribean and Steven Spielberg’s Hook

1 Hour
Saturday 12pm – 1pm
Main Pool

Join us as we attempt to get all our mers into a single photo!

Pre-Registration Required

Instructor: Blue Planet DC

You MUST Complete both the Diver Medical Form and the Release of Liability and submit them to jen@blueplanetdc.com by February 21st participate in this session.

1 Hour
Recreation Pool A
Session Options:

Saturday:
– 2:30pm – 3:30pm
– 4pm – 5pm

Sunday:
– 2:30pm – 3:30pm

Prerequisites:
– Strong Independent Swimmer
– Ages 13+
-You MUST Complete both the Diver Medical Form and the Release of Liability and submit them to jen@blueplanetdc.com by February 21st participate in this session.

Equipment:
– You will be provided a tailskin and monofin – generously sponsored by Mertailor for use during the class.
– You will need a mask and snorkel. Bring your own or rent one from SOS Diving in the vendor hall

The Discover Mermaid™ experience introduces simple mermaid activities in confined water (i.e., a pool or place with pool-like conditions), shallow enough in which to stand. It is designed as a flexible, informative, enjoyable, and controlled experience centered on letting you discover what it’s like to mermaid dive.

To enroll in a Discover Mermaid experience, you must be at least six years old. You need to be in good physical health and comfortable in the water. No prior experience with snorkeling, skin diving, or freediving is required.

The PADI Discover Mermaid experience consists of two introductory phases. After signing up for the PADI Discover Mermaid program you will listen to a briefing from your PADI Mermaid Instructor to learn the basics about being a mermaid. Then there will be ashallow water session in which you’ll wear a mermaid tail (and depending on the situation, perhaps other additional mermaid costuming) followed by mermaid swimming, going underwater, and games.

Pre-Registration Required

Instructor: Blue Planet DC

You MUST Complete both the Diver Medical Form and the Release of Liability and submit them to jen@blueplanetdc.com by February 21st participate in this session.

1 Hour
Recreation Pool B

Ensure you select the correct session for your Merling based on the age they will be at the time of the convention. This is an enforced safety regulation. If your child is outside of the ages for that session they will not be allowed to participate.

Session Options:

Saturday:
– 1pm – 2pm (Ages 6-7)
– 2:30pm – 3:30pm (Ages 8 – 9)
– 4pm – 5pm (Ages 10-12)

Sunday:
– 1pm – 2pm (Ages 6 – 9)
– 2:30pm – 3:30pm (Ages 10 – 12)

Prerequisites:
– Strong Independent Swimmer
– Must be tall enough to comfortably stand with head outside the water in a 3.5′ depth
– Ages 6-12
-You MUST Complete both the Diver Medical Form and the Release of Liability and submit them to jen@blueplanetdc.com by February 21st participate in this session.

Equipment
– You will be provided a tailskin and monofin – generously sponsored by Mertailor for use during the class.  
– You will need a mask and snorkel. Bring your own or rent one from SOS Diving in the vendor hall

The Discover Mermaid™ experience introduces simple mermaid activities in confined water (i.e., a pool or place with pool-like conditions), shallow enough in which to stand. It is designed as a flexible, informative, enjoyable, and controlled experience centered on letting you discover what it’s like to mermaid dive.

To enroll in a Discover Mermaid experience, you must be at least six years old. You need to be in good physical health and comfortable in the water. No prior experience with snorkeling, skin diving, or freediving is required.

The PADI Discover Mermaid experience consists of two introductory phases. After signing up for the PADI Discover Mermaid program you will listen to a briefing from your PADI Mermaid Instructor to learn the basics about being a mermaid. Then there will be ashallow water session in which you’ll wear a mermaid tail (and depending on the situation, perhaps other additional mermaid costuming) followed by mermaid swimming, going underwater, and games.

Instructor: Alexis Jennings and Merman Josh

1 Hour
Saturday 11am – 12pm
Ground Floor – Main Stage

Fact your fears and immerse yourself in one of the oceans top dogs: SHARKS! Join the Shark Guardians: Mermaid Alexis & Mermaid Josh in this epic crash course about all things sharks! These 2 shark conservationist will teach you the facts on these gentle giants that tell you about their first hand encounters!

Lead By: Mermaid Chè Monique

1 Hour
Saturday 4pm – 5pm
Main Pool – Lanes 1-2

Join the Society of Fat Mermaids and founder Mermaid Chè Monique for a community swim!

Instructor: Luna Minuit

1 Hour
Saturday 2:30pm – 3:30pm
2nd Floor – Classroom A

For mermaids who find themselves landlocked or simply on land more than in the water, this class will help you work the same muscles you need to support swimming techniques. Through a fun Caribbean Carnival dance-based workout, we will work on core strength and active flexibility to support the entire body before, during and after we don a tail.

Instructor: Leigh Targaryen. – Sealeigh the Blue Dragon Mer

1 Hour
Saturday 11am – 12pm
2nd Floor – Classroom B

Prerequisites:
– Designed for ages 8 and up

Sealeigh has a brand new card game featuring many of the local mers and pirates and would like to share it with you!
Players will pick a pirate and role on the ship to represent them. Each role dictates your beginning play style. Players can thwart other pirates from winning by lying, stealing, and cheating. In the end your goal is to figure out which mer will help you find your sunken treasure, identify what ocean it can be found in and exactly what type of treasure it is.

This game accommodates up to 6 players ages 8 and up.
Tails and Sails is in development and will be available on kickstarter. More information will be available at the event.

Instructor: Kelsee Eggleston

1 Hour
Sunday 2:30pm – 3:30pm
2nd Floor – Classroom B

Curious how to turn a good program into a Magical Program, offer a WOW moment during a swim lesson, Provide a bit of SPARKLE to a special event? Come check out this Presentation and see how you can maximize your OR Companies Sand Dollars

This Presentation will provide you with necessary skills , planning and Information to Incorporate Mermaids into events hosted by you and/or at your facility. It brings the beauty of all water environments together. As a Mermaid I fight to educate critical guidelines of water safety, all while urging human beings to rejoice in their Magical Mer-self!

Instructor: Jalondra A. Davis AKA Dr. Merwomanist

1 Hour
Sunday 11:30am – 12:30pm
Ground Floor – Main Stage

Opening with a brief history of the evolution of mermaids from ancient deities in Indigenous cultures across the world to symbols in popular culture, this course will focus on non-Western water deities and hybrid beings and their syncretization with the figures commonly known as mermaids in contemporary culture.

Pre-Registration Required
Instructor: Mermaid Cetea

1 Hour
Recreation Pool A

Session options:
Saturday 1pm – 2pm
or
Sunday 1pm – 2pm

Prerequisites:

• Bathing suit or a wetsuit (wetsuit suggested)
• No tails
• Age: 18+
• Ability: Participants must feel comfortable floating, holding their breath, & putting their head underwater for 30 seconds.
• Bringing your own weight belt is encouraged. Email mermaidcetea@gmail.com before class to have it approved.

Weight Belt Basics is for any merm or aquatic performer that finds themselves struggling to dive below the surface. In this hands-on course, we will cover all variables you will face when finding neutral buoyancy, how to use a weight belt safely, and help you find neutral buoyancy for your body.

This class is for every body that struggles with floating when they’re trying to sink. The first part of class is going over the variables that make up our personal buoyancy as merfolk and underwater performers, and the second half is weight belt safety and finding your perfect buoyancy.

This is a NO TAIL class for safety purposes.

We will have weights and belts available for class, but if you would like to BYOB (bring your own belt) you need to email mermaidcetea@gmail.com before class to get it approved.

Lead by Morgana Alba

30 Minutes
Saturday 9am – 9:30am
Ground Floor – Main Stage

Welcome to MerMagic Con!! Join us for last minute announcements, tips, and updates!

Instructor: Mermaid Charlotte

1 Hour
Saturday 10am – 11am
2nd Floor – Classroom A

Never touched a mermaid tail before? Thinking of making your first purchase or upgrading but don’t know which tail to choose? “What’s in a Tail?” is the class for you.

In this class you will learn about the basic anatomy of swimmable mermaid tails, and the differences and similarities of some of the most popular tails on the market. What are the pros and cons of a Spellbound or a Mernation? How stretchy is a Mythic? How stiff is the Fin Fun mono fin? This class answers all your questions impartially and even lets you touch examples of various tails on the market so that you can learn which tail might be right for you.

Instructor: Author Venessa Vida Kelley

1 Hour
Saturday 4pm – 5pm
2nd Floor – Classroom A

Dive into historical romantasy with author-illustrator Venessa Vida Kelley as they share an exclusive excerpt from their highly-anticipated debut novel When the Tides Held the Moon! Q&A with the author to follow.

Venessa Vida Kelley is an author, illustrator, and aspiring mermaid whose illustrations have decorated LGBTQ+ books worldwide. Their debut novel When the Tides Held the Moon is breaking ground in modern publishing as an illustrated work of fiction for adult audiences, blending historical fantasy with epic romance at the turn of the 20th century in an unforgettable New York fairytale of queer identity and found family.

When the Tides Held the Moon splashes into bookstores in May 2025, but attendees will get an advance peek behind the curtain with this live reading of an exclusive excerpt from the novel! The presentation includes a brief discussion of how mer-performance culture helped shaped the fantasy lore depicted in the book, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the book’s artistic development, and will be followed afterward by 15-minute Q&A session with the author.

Instructor: Mermaid Montara

1 Hour
Sunday 2:30pm – 3:30pm
2nd Floor – Classroom A

You’ve seen other attendees walking around in crowns and sashes but what do they mean? How many different pageants are there? What do you have to do for each of them? Are there prizes? What’s required to enter? And what even IS a Mer Pageant?

Join Mermaid Montara, the new director of Monarch International and participant in Miss Mermaid USA, Mermaid At Any Age, Monarch International, and King and Queen of the Seas, as she compares the various pageants and discusses how there is a place for everyone whether you’re a veteran or just want to try something new or whether your focus is athleticism, beauty, philanthropy, or everything in between.