Mermaid Pearl offers swim lessons for humans

She goes by Christen Killebrew on land and Pearl the Mermaid in the pool. In Georgetown, she’s been making the dreams of both children and adults come true through mermaid swim les- sons, parties and advocacy.

“I teach students not just how to use the tail, I teach them basic diver safety rescue skills,” Ms. Killebrew said. “In the long run, you get to learn how to actually save somebody while you're in the tail.”

Mermaid tails became a popular swim accessory in 2023, after the Netflix docuseries Merpeople was released. After watching the show, fans went out and bought mermaid tails, then tried to swim wearing them without an instructor — an unsafe move for a novice swimmer. The tails are even banned from some pools due to safety concerns.

Ms. Killebrew mostly books private pools for lessons, and advocates safe swimming practices. She offers courses for all levels, beginning with the Mermaid “Discover” course, which is suitable for anyone over the age of 6 who can swim 25 meters without assistance. Swimmers must have a medical form signed a primary care physician approving them for the course.

During classes, Ms. Killebrew provides a swimmable mermaid tail. Ms. Killebrew also offers more advanced courses for swimmers 10 and above. Through the program, swimmers can become Professional Association of Diving Instructor certified.

“My courses start in confined water, but once you get to advanced mermaid, I take you to open water,” she explained. “We use either the rivers, lakes, whatever you have around, as long as it’s deemed a safe diving spot. My two favorites are Hinman Island in New Braunfels. For just the photos and the short swims and things, I like to take them to the San Marcos River.”
 

Pearl also makes appearances at parties and events. Her most memorable appearance was for a little girl with Covid, who had just gotten out of the hospital.

“I went to her house and we turned her into a mermaid,” Ms. Killebrew recalled. “She took pictures with me and she was so happy that she cried. That was the turning point for me where I really got serious about having a business.”

Ms. Killebrew’s fascination with mermaids began when she was a little girl. 

“I used to always pretend I was a mermaid and that I could have an escape from my childhood,” Ms. Killebrew said. 

As an adult, she got into “mermaiding,” or swimming with a mermaid tail, as a way to improve her mental and physical health. She found that it was a great way to lose weight.

“I've never felt power like swimming with a mermaid tail,” she said. “You just really get to feel magical. There’s no other way to explain it.”

Ms. Killebrew said mermaiding is also a great avenue to spread awareness about taking care of the environment. After all, an amphibious being is a natural spokesperson for cleaning up the oceans.

“I host cleanups with 4ocean,” she said. 4oceans in an international nonprofit dedicated to cleaning up the plastic and trash in the sea. “I’m a 4ocean ambassador, and just being a mermaid is one of those weird, wacky ways that gets people’s attention.”

During beach cleanups, she teaches what trash can be removed from the beach and what needs to stay put. She said some pieces of trash can’t be moved because certain endangered animals have “made that trash home.”

“I really do try to strive to throw education into all of my stuff,” Ms. Killebrew said. 

“I believe that the kids are our future. If we can’t teach them how to love and respect what we have around us, we’re not gonna have it.”

Ms. Killebrew has also done charity events that raise money and awareness for cancer. 

“My family has had a lot of people affected by cancer, so that's really close to me,” she said. She performed at the Hearts of Hope event for the Brooklyn Miller foundation, a Wilco foundation for childhood cancer awareness.

For information about how to book Pearl for a mermaid session, call 512-954-0471 or visit https://mysticmermaid.net.