Prestatyn mermaid taking eco message to Miss Ocean World UK final

Tyler Turner is the reigning Miss Mermaid Wales and Miss Ocean Denbighshire, so she is no stranger to pageant-style competition. She's hopeful that success in Miss Ocean World UK on November 30 will help her further raise the profile of the environmental issues that are impacting the North Wales coast.

"I'm really excited," she said. "The competition was supposed to take place in July but was postponed and now it's here I can't wait!"

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Prestatyn mermaid Tyler Turner invites you to be part of her world

Tyler has been 'mermaiding' for seven years. She admits she was struggling with her mental health and was looking for her tribe - and she found it in this magical hobby.

@rhyljournal Our reporter Alec Doyle met Prestatyn’s real-life mermaid! #mermaid #mermaids #mermaidsarereal #prestatyn #northwales #denbighshire #summer #sea #seaside ♬ Part of Your World - From "The Little Mermaid" - Halle

Mermaiding - as you might expect - involves dressing as a mermaid and wearing a tail and fin. Many mermaids - and mermen - swim in pools, open water and the sea, training to hold their breath for long periods and to swim safely with their legs restricted. Others don the costumes but prefer to stay on dry land.

Tyler is part of a group called Dŵr Tails North Wales Mermaid pod with members from across North Wales. Their hobby sees them attend charity fundraisers and community events, bringing joy to visitors and helping raise awareness of important causes.

Fellow Dŵr Tails Mermaids Anna and Iolly have given Tyler emotional and practical support on her mermaid journey. (Image: Tyler Turner)

Among the charities Tyler works with are North Wales Seal Research Organisation, the RNLI and the Step Up Foundation.

The Miss Ocean World UK final - which takes place at the Lincoln University Performing Arts Centre - is not exclusively a mermaid pageant. It features entrants from marine life rescue charities and environmental businesses that focus on creating and protecting clean, safe oceans and waterways.

The format is similar to a regular pageant - there is a catwalk round, eveningwear round, swimwear round and an interview with the judging panel.

Miss Ocean World UK also has a fifth category - an eco round - where competitors must wear an outfit made from upcycled or reclaimed materials.

Tyler campaigns for a number of charities including North Wales Seal Research Organisation. (Image: Tyler Turner)

"I am very excited to unveil my outfit for the eco category," she said. "I have collected a lot of discarded nets and material from the beaches in Prestatyn and Rhyl. I did a litter pick with Environmental Prestatyn and got a lot of ring pulls from cans which I have used.

"Gwyrych Castle also supplied some of their waste packaging for the design. 

"I drew up the outfit I wanted and have teamed up with local designers Sian Elen Designs, Jewel Tree Cymru and Metal Boutique and creative welder Oddity Creations to come up with something brilliant. We also got a little help from a friend in Cornwall who designs eco-friendly swimwear."

But the most important part of the pageant will be the interview, where judges will quiz Tyler and her fellow competitors on what they do to protect oceans and waterways and how they would use their status to further those environmental aims.

"That is the part that is important to me," said Tyler. "Having a platform to highlight the challenges that face us on the North Wales coast as we are too often overlooked.

"Often charity money or environmental finding simply doesn't filter through to us and our coastline is as important as any other.

"I will be highlighting an idea I am working to get off the ground, which is Mermaid Bins. These would be placed around beaches or inlets in Rhyl and Prestatyn initially for tourists and visitors to dispose of crabbing lines and nets.

"Too often I see find dead seagulls and crabs caught up in these and it is sad. By working positively rather than just telling off the visitors our economy relies on, we can reduce the environmental impact. 

"Mermaid Bins would not be collected by the council, but by volunteers like Dŵr Tails who can use those lines and nets either as part of costumes or to help educate people at events on the dangers posed by discarded lines and nets." 

If Tyler is crowned Miss Ocean World UK she will represent the nation next year in India, competing for the global crown.

"That would be amazing," she said. "The platform that would give North Wales as the UK representative would be extraordinary.

"All I can do is bring my message to the UK competition and hope it shines a light on the good things we are doing in North Wales and the help we need to do more."