Mermaids gathered at the grand opening of the International Mermaid Museum near Aberdeen.
The Mermaid Museum is a project of the Roberts family,
which also built the Westport Winery Garden Resort.
The museum is located next to the winery about halfway between
Aberdeen, Washington, and the coastal beaches.
Museum founder Kim Roberts said she heard the siren’s call after undergoing cancer treatment.
She says four years ago, it started to matter to what she was leaving.
She didn’t know how long she would be her.
This is her thing, her legacy.
A family friend’s donation of a massive shell collection got the ball rolling.
The museum displays feature lots of mermaid mannequins.
There is also a World War II dive helmet used at Pearl Harbor
and a 300-year-old wooden carousel carving of a mermaid.
Roberts said there’s a point here besides conveying mermaid lore.
She wants each exhibit to teach ocean ecology, too.
Admission to the new museum is free during the month of April, if not longer.
For visitors intrigued by mermaiding,
the next to last display alcove includes information about how to join the scene.
Key pieces of advice include how to choose the right monofin and to never swim and dive alone.
After conversing with the professional mermaids at the museum opening,
Shelton, Washington, mother Rochelle Freeman said she came away inspired to plunge in.
She says she got her first monofin last year.
and made her own mermaid tail at home.
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