This story is part of Finding Your People, a series celebrating the Bay Area’s meetups and subcultures that bring people together IRL in an increasingly online world.
In a swimming hole called the Garden of Eden in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Tara Dimaggio swims around in her iridescent silicone tail. She finds peace in the quiet, bringing her fairytale dream to life. And she makes sure to pick up trash on the way out.
The 43-year-old San Jose resident, known as the Mermaid of Eden, describes herself as introverted and reserved. But when she puts on her tail and embodies her mermaid persona, or mersona, she gains a little more confidence…