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| Estonian "Eco-Mermaid" Merle Liivand has set multiple Guinness World Records for the longest swim with a monofin, using only her core and lower body to swim marathon distances. |
Miami's 🧜♀️Mermaid Merle Liivand is on a mission.
PLEASE NOTE! Merle's Mermaid Swim has been postponed until April 25, due to high winds, rough seas and rip currents.
On April 25, 2026 Miami's Mermaid Merle Liivand will set a new Guinness World Record by swimming more than 50 km (31.14 miles) from Fort Lauderdale to South Beach with a monofin to raise awareness about the importance of keeping plastic out of the ocean and to raise funds to teach life saving swimming skills to kids. Find out more at mermaidmerle.org
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| Merle trains everyday off Miami Beach with the Dolphins & Rainbows swim team. |
" I am doing this because I am 🧜♀️Mermaid. It's my job to protect the sea and sea creatures from thoughtless people who throw plastic and trash into the ocean," said Liivand, a former Baltic champion and breaststroke specialist from Estonia who lives in Miami Beach.
"But 🧜♀️Mermaid needs lots of help. That's why I am raising money for the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Every Child a Swimmer program; to make sure that every kid can learn to swim safely, so they can become Super Heroes of the Sea and help me protect the ocean."
Click here to make a contribution to support Merle's 🧜♀️Mermaid Swim.
Thanks to the 💙Miami Beach Cupid Splash♥️ and Miami-Dade Coastal Cleanup, Inc.
all pledge proceeds will go to support Every Child's a Swimmer!
This is not the first time that Merle, who will be 35 on April 17th, has set a monofin
distance record.
She performed a 10-km (6.2-mi) Mermaid swim off
Redondo Beach, California, USA, in 2019 (time: 2 hr 54 min); a 20.6-km
(12.8-mi) Mermaid swim off South Point Park Pier in Miami in 2020 (time:
6 hr 8 min); a 30-km (18.6-mi) Mermaid swim off Miami Beach, Florida, USA, on
17 April 2021 (time: 9 hr 19 min); and a 42.2-km (26.22-mi) "Marathon Mermaid swim" off Miami Beach, Florida, USA, on 7 May 2022 (time: 11 hr
54 min). On April 15, 2023, she set the current record of 50 kilometres (31.13 miles) in Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida,
USA.
Merle and her team will depart from the Dania Beach Jetty at 6:30 AM and expect to be at Haulover Inlet by early afternoon. Depending on current, wind and tides, she expects to arrive at the South Point Jetty around sunset.
"I will be swimming in front of beautiful beaches and resorts that are the heart of the region's Blue Economy. Just beneath the surface are fragile coral reefs that need our care as well," said Liivand. "We need to keep our beaches clean from pollution and plastic, and teach all kids to swim safely and connect them with the marine environment, so we can inspire them to become Superheroes of the Sea."
🧜♀️Mermaid Merle's little pal Merlita has a message for all aspiring 🧜Mermaid Superheros...
Watch a terrific profile of 🧜♀️Mermaid Merle Liivand on CNN
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| Meet the eco-friendly mermaid cleaning oceans one record breaking swim at a time |
For more information about the 🧜♀️Mermaid Swim including route updates and viewing locations,
follow Merle on Facebook or Instagram
#mermaidswim #miamimermaid #mermaid #aquamerle #merlita
To arrange coverage of this great event, contact Bruce Berman
by email to bruce@bostonharbor.com or by cell at (617) 293-6243
