Her agile moves, the way she swishes her tail while swimming and her other graceful water performances are very much like those of the animated character Ariel of ‘The Little Mermaid’.
However, this 37-year-old mermaid does not swim with her long hair trailing behind her as she is garbed in Muslim women’s wear.
Besides wearing the hijab, the Safety Health Officer of a private hospital, wears a rash guard and swimming suit of suitable thickness. These swimwear is not transparent or tight, and covers her whole body except for her face and palms.
“I want to change society’s perception that anyone can realise the dream of becoming a mermaid and enjoy the beauty of the ocean,” she told Bernama here.
Nur Fathiyah, who started swimming and diving in a mermaid costume more than two years ago, is understood to be the first Malay Muslim and hijab-wearing mermaid instructor in the Asia Pacific region, certified by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Mermaid.
In November last year, Nur Fathiyah participated in the ‘Save The Ocean’ event at The Shore Oceanarium in Melaka. The performance was held to create awareness about the preservation and conservation of the sea.
Nur Fathiyah, who can dive to a depth of about 10 metres in the sea without the use of a breathing apparatus and goggles, holds a bachelor’s degree in Environment Biotechnology from the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM).
She said she underwent training and a course run by a PADI Mermaid Instructor Trainer based in Shah Alam, Selangor.
“We also need to get qualification and recognition as a PADI Advanced Mermaid by undergoing diving training wearing a mermaid swimming suit for at least 15 diving sessions, including three or more dives in the sea at a depth of 10 metres,” she said.
The Penang-born ‘mermaid’ has also undergone various courses, including Emergency First Response (EFR) Primary & Secondary Care, as well as water skills exercises, like swimming for 400 metres and floating for 10 minutes, in addition to acquiring underwater skills, such as proper breathing, Duck Dive and Dolphin Kick.
According to her, performing water activities dressed as a mermaid is challenging because of the risk of experiencing spasms in the water since swimming in a mermaid costume requires both legs to be together in the monofin and tail costume.
“Diving in the sea also exposes mermaids to challenges such as water density, pressure, temperature, visibility and underwater currents. The risk of drowning is also there,” she added.
However, Nur Fathiyah, who often shares her water activities in the mermaid costume on social media, said that with sufficient training and diving, swimming as a mermaid was a fun activity.
She hopes to open a Muslimah Mermaid concept business that offers services such as basic make-up and photography at the bottom of the sea so more Muslim women participate in the activity.