Real Life Mermaid

Aucklander Nadya Vessey has commissioned a custom-made mermaid tail from Wellington’s Weta Workshop. A keen swimmer, Vessey was born with a condition that prevented her legs from developing properly. She had her first leg amputated when she was seven, and the second when she was sixteen. The mermaid tail will be used for swimming only and will be moulded over a pair of wetsuit shorts to make it easy to put on and remove. “[Weta] told me not to worry,that they would even put scales on it,” says Vessey. “So I really have no idea what to expect – but it’s going to be fun.”