The secret of breathless mermaids in America

Those at Weeki Wachee Springs Park can dance for 30 minutes underwater by practicing and using soft air ducts.

The auditorium at the Weeki Wachee Springs park in Florida state, located at a depth of 5 meters below the ground, according to the Washington Post. Long wooden benches turned toward a thick glass wall. Covering the glass wall is a blue curtain, which looks like a frilly swimsuit. But 3-4 times a day, the curtain will be raised, revealing the clear blue water behind the glass wall.

The edge of the wall protrudes and the 6-meter-wide, 1-meter-wide gap drops, allowing about 454 million liters of water to spill into the tank every day. Soft shell turtle, mullet or catfish will swim through the glass wall, then the mermaid. They are women who wear fake tails that are colorful and worn over their thighs, performing underwater and expressing an impressive transformation of their bodies when they need to hold their breath during the show.

One of the newest members of the mermaid group is Paisley, a 19-year-old girl from Indialantic, Florida. Paisley is her stage name. The mermaids do not publicize their names to keep it mysterious and also to avoid being stalked.

The mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs park can be under water for 30 minutes.(Photo: Flickr).

Every day, Paisley woke up as usual. But when she put on her performance costume, she would turn into another person, maybe 30 minutes underwater in the entire show without floating up. Paisley swims in the water and when she needs to breathe, she inhales oxygen from a soft tube connected to the wall edge.

Paisley has never taken a swim, dancer or any job that can help her dance underwater. But she is the original Florida and Florida girls swim very well. So when Paisley was introduced to the entrance exam by his college classmate, Paisley participated.

The first test was to swim 200 meters, 100 meters down the Weeki Wachee River and 100 meters upstream. After that, Paisley had to dive in front of the auditorium window, smile and wave."They just try to see if you look comfortable in the water. To make sure you don't frown , " Paisley said.

Later, the recruiters showed Paisley the mermaid movements so she could perform underwater. The manager also wants to see how long she can hold her breath naturally. At the audition, Paisley stopped breathing for 30 seconds. The coach can accept that level because they know Paisley's body will change over time as she becomes a mermaid.

Playing the mermaid without stepping up on the water or relying on breathing devices is the characteristic of Weeki Wachee Park from the early days. The soft-tube breathing method was developed in the 1940s after Newton Perry, who trained a pirate for the US Navy, bought the entertainment area. Perry tests ways for people to breathe air without wearing oxygen tanks on their backs. Finally, he decided to install air-ducting softeners from the compressor.

Within the first few months, before actually starting as a mermaid, Paisley had to get a scuba diving certificate, cardiopulmonary resuscitation certificate and rescue certificate. After that, Paisley had to start getting used to staying long in the water. Paisley will jump into the water through a cylinder beneath the dressing room and practice a part of the performance. She had to constantly float on the water, breathe and dive.

The mermaids do not need to hold their breaths for longer than 40 seconds thanks to the hose that carries oxygen from the compressor.(Photo: AFP).

Once the certificate has been obtained, Paisley practices using soft tubes. The instructor guided her to the water, inhaled oxygen through the tube and under water for 5 minutes without emerging. When inhaled from the tube, oxygen filled Paisley's lung lungs and she emerged. When Paisley breathed out, she sank. Not long after, Paisley practiced the mermaid movements while closing his legs . "It took me a month before I got a tail. It was a big turning point. It felt like becoming a real mermaid , " Paisley said.

Some experts expressed concern about staying underwater, breathing in intermittent breathing and performing alongside turtles. The first is the limit for time to stop breathing. Studies have identified safe milestones for co-swimmers. According to Teresa Alentejano, the world famous co-swim coach and physiologist, a 1995 project concluded that the limit was 40 seconds. Thanks to the soft tube, the mermaids never have to hold their breath longer than that.

The mermaid must have enough certificates and go through the training process that lasts many months before being able to perform.(Photo: Flickr).

Jim Chimiak, medical director of the nonprofit organization Divers Alert Network, swimming at a depth of 6 meters is not worrisome. The water pressure, where the mermaids lead, is only 1.5 times the pressure on the human body when on land, so there is no need to reduce pressure. However, divers need to pay attention to keep the pressure in the middle ear and the ear canal balanced through swallowing to avoid temporary or permanent damage.

The bodies of the mermaids may not be able to recover the natural oil being washed away. Cracks or cracks on the skin can lead to infection. They also need to supplement their head with enough water because every time they go into the water, they will urinate more often than usual.

The swimmer's heartbeat dropped rapidly as they began to hold their breath, even though they underwent training. That's how the body deceives itself to breathe less."When the heart rate is lower, the body understands that less oxygen is needed and therefore less oxygen is needed," Alentejano explained.