Families on the Sunshine Coast have their very own real-life mermaid – and she’s on a mission to help kids fall in love with the ocean, while supporting mums and women to reconnect with themselves.
Eloise Power, known as Mermaid Elle from The Mermaid Connection, is a professional mermaid, freediving instructor and ocean guide based on the Sunshine Coast. She runs children’s mermaid parties, youth ocean education experiences, women’s retreats and international marine adventures – all with one clear goal: to blend magic with mental health, confidence and care for the sea.
“My story actually started with struggle, not sparkles,” Eloise said. “I had a near-drowning while surfing and it completely shattered my confidence in the water. Not long after, my mental health crashed. I left my teaching career feeling burnt out, anxious and like I’d lost who I was.”
It was the ocean that brought her back.
“Freediving and breathwork became my lifeline,” she said. “Learning to stay calm underwater helped me rebuild my sense of self. What started as a way to survive slowly became my purpose – and a deep love for the ocean and all marine life.”
Sunshine Coast real-life mermaid Eloise Power
Sunshine Coast mermaid birthday parties and ocean conservation
Today, Sunshine Coast families can find Mermaid Elle hosting children’s mermaid birthday parties, Mermaid Days with whales, and ocean education experiences where kids learn about marine life, safety and conservation while having fun in the water.
“When kids put on a tail, you can see their confidence light up,” Eloise said. “We talk about how to respect the ocean, how to keep turtles and whales safe, and how even small actions – like picking up rubbish – can make a big difference.”
For mums and women, she also offers ocean-based women’s retreats and underwater “goddess” photoshoots.
“My work with women is all about body positivity, self-love and remembering their inner power,” she explained. “The sea doesn’t care about your dress size or your to-do list. It invites you to feel, breathe and just be you again.”
Sunshine Coast mermaid Eloise Power works with women on self-love
From near-drowning to living her dream as a full-time mermaid and ocean guide, Eloise is passionate about sharing that transformation with others.
“The ocean taught me how to rise again,” she said. “If I can use a mermaid tail to help kids care for the ocean and help women feel at home in their own skin, then that’s the real magic.”
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