Real Life Hannah Mermaid Inspires Joyful Activism in Recognition of World Oceans DayHannah ‘Mermaid’ Fraser discusses turning Fantasy into Reality and Joyful Activism to serve the needs of the world's oceans during her recent TEDx Talk at Berklee Valencia, Spain
By: Hannah Mermaid Hannah Mermaid has been working on creating groundbreaking imagery showing the connection between human and sea creatures for over a decade. She has swum fearlessly with Tiger Sharks, Great Whites, Whales, Dolphins, Manta Rays, Whale Sharks, Seals, and many more animals in the open ocean. She is credited with inventing a whole new vocation, becoming the first ‘Freelance Mermaid’, working as an ocean environmentalist, underwater performance artist and model. Hannah uses her unique link to the ocean to inspire and educate people on the importance of marine life. She has also been weighted to the bottom of the ocean, 35 feet deep, holding her breath for minutes at a time, dancing with Sharks, as seen in the video Tigress Shark. “My journey has been a constant process of using my passion to push the limits of what I thought was possible. Everything in the Tigress Shark video is 100% real, with no special effects,” states Fraser. “One of the most incredible experiences was swimming with a mother and baby humpback whale. Back on land, my joy began to turn into horror and dismay. I found out that these magnificent creatures, although supposedly protected, were still being hunted and killed. I was seeing reefs deteriorating before my eyes, beaches covered in garbage, and most devastating of all, I was learning of numerous species being annihilated through pollution and over-fishing,” Under current estimates, around 70% of the Earth's oxygen is produced by the sea, and over 97% of life on earth exists in our oceans. Many suggest we will have exhausted most, if not all life in the ocean within the next few decades, which has catastrophic implications to our entire eco-system. “I realized that being a mermaid was no longer just about fantasy and fairy tails for me. It was time to take action!” continued Fraser. Hannah Fraser began protesting at International Whaling Commissions in Portugal, Alaska and Chile, and created photo petitions in an effort to stop whaling. She was part of a group that paddled out into the bay of Taiji, Japan, where her group was attacked by fishermen that kill hundreds of dolphins every year. The footage they captured was televised worldwide and featured in the academy award winning film, The Cove. “I began working with one of the most talented underwater cinematographers and passionate eco-activists - Shawn Heinrichs. Our mission became clear. Instead of showing the harsh realities of the issues, what if we could inspire more change and drive action through beautiful imagery that personally connected humans to the animals? We created the world’s first Whale Shark Fashion shoot, highlighting one Island community's ability to make more profit by non-invasive eco-tourism than from shark finning. The photos and story went worldwide. The response to this shoot was greater than any work either of us had done before. By bridging land and sea as a mermaid with a cause, we were able to appeal to people through fantasy, and empower them with a new possible reality. We live in a time where I believe radical creativity is needed more than ever. Fantasy and imagination are the source of innovation and solution,” states Fraser. View Hannah ‘Mermaid’ Fraser’s TEDx Talk in it’s entirety: https://www.youtube.com/ About World Oceans Day “World Oceans Day, the United Nations-recognized day of ocean celebration and action. This year, the theme is Healthy oceans, healthy planet, and we’re making a special effort to stop plastic pollution,” taken from the non-profit's website. http://www.worldoceansday.org/ About Hannah ‘Mermaid’ Fraser Hannah Fraser is credited with inventing a whole new vocation, becoming the first ‘Freelance Mermaid’, working as an ocean environmentalist, underwater performance artist and model. She now creates exquisite mermaid tails and travels the world performing underwater as a mermaid for film, television, advertising, events and environmental activism. Hannah is currently working with Emmy Award winning cinematographer Shawn Heinrichs to create mind-blowing imagery that captures her unique connection to marine life in an upcoming documentary - Tears of a Mermaid. A dedicated Ocean activist, Hannah travels the world performing for charity projects to commercial ventures to bring awareness to the ocean and it’s precious animal life. Hannah performs in exotic locations appearing in numerous movies and shoots swimming in the open ocean with sharks, dolphins, whales, seals, manta rays and more. Hannah Fraser is available to hire for Film, TV, Photography Projects, Product Campaigns, Live Performance, and Public Speaking Engagements. Visit http://www.hannahmermaid.com for details. Contact Cyrene Jagger ***@mctrax.com Photos: https://www.prlog.org/ https://www.prlog.org/ End
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