Meet the real-life Ariel who spends her days swimming alongside sharks, rays and giant sea turtles - but says being a mermaid is 'hard, hard work' as she has to hold her breath for up to four minutes. Flame-haired Naomi Trott travels the length and breadth of Britain to take part in aquarium displays as a performance mermaid.
The 34-year-old undergoes five hours of intense training in and out of the pool each week to ensure she's in tip-top shape to zip around aquariums, wave and blow bubble kisses to delighted visitors. Naomi describes children's reactions to her as 'magical' and said she was moved to tears when a thrilled youngster told her mum 'Mummy look there's a ginger mermaid like me'.
The archaeologist and senior cultural heritage consultant, who's married to 37-year-old musician Benjamin Trott, works four days a week so she can dedicate one weekday along with her weekends to the hobby. Naomi, from Bristol, said: "It's incredible seeing children's faces light up when they see a real-life mermaid, it's magical.
