The tail in the photo is Maggie's collection piece "Aurora," a hybrid semi-silicone monofin tail Photography: Jammi Chen
I am a fish, and I cannot love you There is no oxygen in my world for you to breathe
I am a fish, and I cannot love you Let me swim around, and then forget you
Recommended listening: 怕胖樂團 《魚》
Encountering a Freediving Mermaid
For many people, the ocean may be a world they have never set foot in — but for Maggie, the ocean is where she found another version of herself. The first time our editor S met Maggie was at the deep pool at Songyun Sports Center. That day, Maggie was wearing a white lace monofin and practicing freediving. The white lace swayed with the ripples of the water, and the fluid movement of the monofin in harmony with her body looked just like a real fish tail, gliding and playing through the water. Everyone who saw her lace monofin was fascinated, and upon asking, they learned that Maggie had crafted it herself — and that was what sparked editor S's curiosity about her.
On a rainy Saturday afternoon, editor S visited Maggie's apartment. Stepping through the door, she was greeted by scuba tanks and all manner of scuba gear scattered throughout the space, resembling a small dive shop office. Maggie's roommate is a scuba instructor, and Maggie herself only began exploring freediving after more than a decade of scuba diving. Over two years ago, Maggie joined a mermaid experience course, and from that moment, her mermaid journey began.
Venturing into the storage room revealed a treasure trove of mermaid accessories and tails of all shapes and sizes — Maggie's prized collection, some ordered from overseas and others handcrafted from materials she sourced herself.
Mermaid Accessories
Maggie explained to editor S that a mermaid tail consists of two parts: the tail skin and the fin. Materials range from hyper-realistic full silicone to hybrid semi-silicone, to tails sewn from plastic scales, as well as the more widely accessible fabric tail.
Maggie also recommends Mahina as a great entry-level tail for beginners, and suggests using a fabric tail for practice. In addition to ordering tails from abroad, she also cut a large tail shape from a transparent table mat and mounted it onto a monofin, then slipped a beautiful white lace cover over it. Maggie says the feel of swimming with this tail is very similar to a full silicone one, making it an excellent way to prepare for eventually using a full silicone mermaid tail.
The tail shown is a Mahina, ideal as a beginner practice tail
Maggie introduced each piece of her collection with obvious affection, explaining that every tail has its own name. The hybrid semi-silicone tail is called Aurora — meaning the light of dawn, a symbol of hope. The white lace fabric tail is named Sorrow, a phonetic play on the English word. The black Mahina is named Anger, likewise a phonetic nod to the English word.
Because of humanity's disregard for the environment, the ocean has suffered severe pollution and destruction. Whether performing or shooting, Maggie hopes to use these tails to express emotion and, through the form of a mermaid, to raise awareness about environmental issues.
Maggie's custom white lace mermaid tail. Photo courtesy of 潛立方旅館
Maggie shares that even as a child learning to swim in the pool, she always felt like a mermaid — and it was that feeling that eventually drew her to the ocean as she grew up. Naturally introverted and not fond of crowds, she feels completely at ease in the water. The moment she is submerged, all her everyday worries simply disappear. "Because all you have to think about is breathing," she says with a smile.
The person she is underwater seems entirely different from the one on land. Maggie says that in the water, she can move in every direction freely. She even relishes the sensation of removing her mask beneath the sea, everything blurring before her eyes — as if the whole world has shrunk to just herself. She savors the complete physical freedom and the chance to quietly listen inward, to simply be with herself.
After hearing Maggie's story, editor S felt deeply moved — and deeply understood. Since beginning her own freediving journey, truly connecting with the ocean and forging a bond with the sea, editor S has felt a profound sense of change: a greater freedom of body, mind, and spirit.
In the busyness of our daily lives on land, we seem to have forgotten what that pure, unencumbered sense of freedom feels like. We hope that everyone can find another version of themselves in the ocean — and discover their own deep, personal connection with the sea.
