Annie Collinge documents the real life mermaids of Weeki Wachee Springs

My desire to wear a shell bikini and have a big flipper instead of legs was ignited, like many others, upon seeing Disney’s The Little Mermaid. It’s also responsible for the several weeks I used a fork to brush my hair like Ariel did. But there is a place where being a mermaid can become a reality, oh yes. In Weeki Wachee, Florida, the City of Live Mermaids is one of the state’s oldest attractions where beautiful ladies perform in underwater shows, living out the fishy fantasy with their very own tail.

Amazed by this surreal place, London born photographer Annie Collinge’s newest project, ‘The Underwater Mermaid Theatre’ sees her documenting the day-to-day life of these ‘mermaids’ giving us a glimpse into the cheesy glamour that’s managed to survive all these years.