Jenni Conti, aka 'Eden Sirene,' Kicked Out Of Pool For Wearing Mermaid Costume

Mermaid Kicked Out Of Pools Due To 'No-Fin' Policy

Public pool-goers in Fishhawk, Fla. won't be getting any tail this summer.

Jenni Conti, who also goes by her mermaid name "Eden Sirene," has been banned from wearing her silicon mermaid costume at not one, but two public swimming pools in the community. To her dismay, authorities didn't want her to be part of that world.

The Community Development District board has a "no-fin" policy in neighborhood pools, according to Fox 13. Board members say they "love her intentions," but the costume is a safety concern.

Conti begs to differ.

"Inside the water [the tail] is weightless and it becomes a part of my body. It would not fly off like a kickboard, or swim fin or flipper would," she told Bloomingdale Patch. "It would not hurt. It's very flexible, it flops around."

She noted that the board would allow her to swim in costume if she booked a "special event," but the pool event schedule is booked up for the rest of the year.

Despite the district's rules, Conti has boatloads of support from the community. She told Patch that a supporter started a Facebook community page, "Eden Sirene - The Fishhawk Mermaid," which now has almost 300 likes.

Neighbor Bob Abruzzese told Fox 13, "I'm a 48-year-old man and I get a big smile on my face seeing her swim."

She added that many people have also asked her to come swim in their private pools with their children.

Not everyone is on her side, though. "How about doing other stuff to bring notoriety to your community," Facebook user Michael Metcalfe wrote on the Facebook page. "No one cares about your personally made fish suit."

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