A Mermaid on a Mission!

Meet Tasha Haight: A Mermaid On a Mission!

Since she was 4 years old Tasha Haight has been performing in a variety of venues, and she was one of the original Circus Siren Atlantians. Whether on land or sea, Tasha does everything with excellence.

Not only does she hold several certifications, including SCUBA Diving (Divemaster), Freediving, and Lifeguarding, but she is also a PADI Mermaid Instructor Trainer. Tasha takes her passion for everything about mermaids very seriously. With her Mermaid Certification she has swam with sharks and rays in Tahiti, with sea lions in Mexico, and with tropical fish in the Caribbean. She was featured on the Netflix docuseries, MerPeople.

And if that’s not enough to keep her busy, she is also the author of several fun, interactive children’s books that help readers learn more about the environment and what they can do to protect it.

“What can I say? I like to keep busy,” Tasha said.

After she wrote her first book, Glitter is Not the Winner, she recognized her gift of creative communications.? “People really responded well to it, and it was a fun project to create,” she said.? The interest in that title inspired her to keep writing more books.? “I figured, why not?”

Tasha shares that the most rewarding part of being a writer is being able to influence the next generation in a positive way. “My books focus on conservation and kids really seem to grasp the meaning and importance of the themes of the book. Seeing them implement some of the suggestions, like using alternatives instead of glitter, shows I've made an impact.”

As a self-published author, she has discovered the most challenging part is getting her books in front of people. “Thankfully, my background is in business, so I have a leg up on marketing. I also own a successful mermaid company so I'm able to leverage those events into getting my mermaid books out there as well.”

As a new author, she didn't know there were other ways to sell books besides traditional bookstores. “I've since learned about many other options and don't need to rely on bookstores alone. I recently had my first Author Visit to a school, and they purchased 200 copies of Mermaid Tasha's Mission for their Teaching Track students (students that want to be teachers when they grow up).”?

Tasha is extremely excited to pursue more opportunities like school visits, including boys and girls groups, clubs, and other community venues.?

“I have been a professional mermaid for a while now, so all my mermaid adventures in my books are based on real life adventures! The real world inspires me! I did swim with the Pink Whiprays in French Polynesia, which inspired my book, Mermaid Tasha & the Whipray. You can even find real pictures of me with the Whiprays in the back of the book. In Mermaid Tasha's Mission, we talk about different conservation issues, including plastic pollution and nutrient runoff. I did find 3 plastic bottles in the water while surfing one day, leading to my interest in conservation, and we really did lose all pelicans for about 10 years due to pesticide farmers were using on their fields.”

She has plans to create more projects. Other books not yet published involve my real life experiences and interactions with other marine life and conservation issues as well, including manta rays, sand tiger sharks, and balloon pollution.”

Tasha loves to connect with the readers and reviewers of her books. “Feel free to stop by any of my in-person events to say ‘hi’ or give me a follow-on social media -?@mermaidtasha on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!”

For more information about Tasha, her mermaid company, the books, and her passion for marine life, please visit www.authortashahaight.com.