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A New York man has shared the moment he managed to sneak into the mermaid tank of a busy Fort Lauderdale, Florida bar, giving the professionals a run for their money.
David Mellinger gained over 18 million views on his TikTok @davestoktiks, with the footage of him swimming back and forth in the tank as his friends watched on in shock.
Some bars across the U.S. feature "mermaid tanks" that host professional mermaids to majestically swim up and down behind glass during the night. Mellinger covertly entered the mermaid tank at B Ocean Resort in Florida, where he had spent the night vowing to do exactly that to his friends.
According to Mellinger, it was a simple case of catching the tank's door when a member of staff exited it, followed by hiding from security in the dark after his spontaneous performance.
Mellinger confirmed that he was not intoxicated and simply wanted a video of him swimming in the tank.
"I love to push boundaries when it comes to humor," he told Newsweek. "I was at the mermaid bar with my wife and two of our friends. The show was incredible, and as it was nearing the end, I told them to have their cameras ready for the finale.
"I always love to make my friends laugh and be the kind of person they tell other people stories about. I always look for a way to make a splash in any social setting, and this is just one great example of a night with me becoming a lifelong memory."
The first clip of the viral video showed what the professional mermaids are meant to look like, as one swam up and down, fitted with a tail. The next clip showed Mellinger's attempt, which was notably far less elegant and yet arguably more enthusiastic.
The video can also be seen in full here.
"As the show was closing I thought 'okay I wanna get in that tank and I want a video of me swimming in it' so I told everyone I was with 'have your camera ready because I'm going to figure this out,'" explained Mellinger in a TikTok video.
"So I go around and I'm trying to find where to get in this tank. It was at a hotel, I found a door that I think is leading to it but it's locked, but while I was trying to get in, someone came out and I acted like I wasn't interested," he continued. "When they walked away I grabbed the door before it locked and I found the tank where all the mermaids had been swimming."
Mellinger told Newsweek that although he was only in the tank for a short while, it felt far longer: "It felt like I was in there for hours because of the adrenaline, but in all reality, it was probably about a minute and a half. I had just planned to swim back and forth once and leave, but the euphoria of being in there brought out my natural desire to be a performer as I stayed for a few more laps.
"I had quite an elaborate escape plan that I talk about more on my TikTok, so I felt confident continuing for a little longer before security arrived. I kept losing my breath quickly because my heart was racing from the excitement."
Mellinger detailed his escape plan on his TikTok account, explaining that he spotted the back exit that the performers used. "I'm like 'this is perfect' I'm going to put all my clothes by the back exits so I can escape," recalled Mellinger.
"I found where they drop their towels and I grabbed one to dry off real quick afterwards, and so I jumped into the tank. I stripped down to my underwear and jumped in the tank and started swimming for my life.
"My friends could not believe that I actually went through with it," he told Newsweek. "They were hysterically laughing while filming me in my full mermaid glory. We had been interacting with everyone who was at the bar that night, so everyone immediately looked at my group to join in the laughter. The bartenders did not seem too amused, but my fellow patrons were in disbelief and amazement.
"I'm sure that one of the bartenders alerted security, but I'm not exactly sure how it is that they noticed. There were two guards in the swimming area looking for me as I was making my escape. I saw about three more in the lobby as I snuck out to my car. My friends had to quietly make their way out a moment later to avoid security as well, and they said that the lobby had around five to seven security guards."
According to Mellinger, he managed to put his clothes on, leave through the back exit and hurry out of the lobby without being caught.
"I would love to go back for another appearance next time I'm in town," he joked, hinting at round two.
Mermaid swimming shows might be hugely popular now, but they're far from new and were all the rage in the 1950s.
In 2015, it was estimated by Fast Company that there were close to 1,000 full-time professional mermaids and mermen in the United States—a number that has likely only grown in the years since.
The global mermaid tails market was estimated by Industry Research to be worth around $63.76 million in 2020, and is expected to continue to grow. The U.S. reportedly accounted for a whopping 74.73 percent of the mermaid tails market, with leading brands including Fin Fun which sell tails fit for both adults and kids to try out while swimming.
