Mermaid camp coming late July

After some delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Scuba Ventures mermaid camp will return in July to Blue Water Park in Pelham.

Scuba Ventures, located in Vestavia Hills, will host the camp from July 20-24, with a registration deadline of June 27. Registration can be done in person at Scuba Ventures, 610 Montgomery Highway, or over the phone by calling 205-822-2121.

Bethany Grisaffi, divemaster with the business, said while the camps normally are held the first two weeks of June, the ongoing COVID-19 crisis pushed the dates back. The organization recently became the training program for Scuba Schools International, with the hopes that they will soon be able to offer mermaid certification for teenagers and adults.

Participants will learn how to safely swim in a mermaid tail and do different mermaid-themed crafts, Grisaffi said.

“A lot of girls love it, but don’t realize they can do it,” Grisaffi said. “It changes the whole game.”

Participants must be able to swim before taking part in the camp, and instructors will teach them to swim in the mermaid tail and how to kick out of it to avoid any dangers. The camp provides people a “great way to live out a silly fantasy,” Grisaffi said.

Students will spend 45 minutes to an hour in the water building their confidence and doing games, and then more activities will follow out of the water, Grisaffi said.