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The Mermaid of Hamburg: From sea rescuer to mermate!
Find out how Sören Moje, as a sea rescuer and mermaiding enthusiast in Hamburg-Altona, combines life and marine conservation.
The Mermaid of Hamburg: From sea rescuer to mermate!
Sören Moje, a former sea rescuer, lives in Hamburg-Altona and is drawing attention for his unusual hobby, mermaiding. He rescued people from the sea for five years, but the emotional stress of his time as a rescuer made the water less comfortable for him. Eventually he found joy in the element of water by dressing up in mermaid costumes and campaigning for the protection of our oceans, taz.de reports.
Moje lives on a wagon lot that was built in the 1990s. The soil is poisoned, so residents use raised beds to still grow vegetables and berries. His home, a circus wagon from the 1950s, is simply furnished - a bed, a sandwich maker and a coffee machine are enough for him. It gets cozy around the fire pit in the middle of the wagon square, where the community comes together.
A mermaid with a message
His passion for the sea is evident not only in mermaiding, but also in collecting memorabilia, such as a broken compass or a boat that he wants to repair. With a fish-shaped abdomen, which he bought for 3,000 euros, Moje wants to draw attention to the grievances in the oceans. Whether through beach clean-ups or his appearance as a model under the stage name “Merman Mo” – he fights tirelessly against the flood of plastic in our waters.
His childhood was marked by a great fascination for mermaids. Films like “The Little Mermaid” accompanied him, and his enthusiasm for the sea never left him. With training as a ship mechanic and his later work as a ship operations technician, he gained in-depth knowledge of the maritime world. In his work with NGOs such as Sea Shepherd and Sea-Watch, he is committed to marine conservation. The left-wing, i.e. social, approach even goes so far as to see his role as a mermate as an opportunity to show sensitivity and deal with issues such as critical masculinity.
The challenges of the oceans
The world's oceans, which cover over 70% of our earth's surface, are at great risk. Overfishing, industrial use, intensive shipping traffic, climate change and pollution are the major threats from which the oceans suffer, as NABU clearly shows NABU. Moje never tires of making people aware of these challenges and motivating them to help, be it through garbage collection campaigns or in other ways.
Moje is currently planning a mermaiding meeting in the Maldives to network with like-minded people and spread enthusiasm for marine conservation. He is also planning a new phase of his life with great enthusiasm - his plans to stop smoking and remain alcohol-free are further steps in a positive direction.
With a new job on a tugboat in Kiel, where he pulls container and machine ships, Moje is using his skills and staying loyal to the maritime industry. His connection to the sea is unbroken, and so he continues to contribute to making our oceans a little better.
The challenge of having a positive impact on the environment is not just a personal concern for Moje. It is the commitment of a man who puts down roots in a poisoned soil and who, despite the shadows of the past, has rediscovered the light of the sea.