Meet your Instructors:
Aqua Native values Inclusion, Safety, Joy, and Environmental Stewardship.
Ani Ferguson PADI MERMAID INSTRUCTOR TRAINER, FREEDIVE INSTRUCTOR DIVEMASTER The Aqua Native founder and owner, Ani designs programming, facilitates courses, and more! Ani is a PADI Professional Mermaid Instructor Trainer, Freedive Instructor and Divemaster. Starting her love affair with the water at just 8 weeks old, when she took her first swim lesson, she has been an Aqua Native ever since. She grew up in a family that regularly went swimming and diving for family activities. At the age of four, Ani was able to meet Mermaid Marti at the end of a mesmerizing underwater show at Weeki Wachee Springs in Florida. Her love of mermaiding began when Marti hand-picked Ani and her sister from the crowd for a special photo opportunity; the rest is history. Ani has always pursued opportunities to be close to the water, be it enjoying competitive swimming or working as a lifeguard. In 1990, Ani earned her SCUBA Certification at the age 10. Mermaiding was a natural progression for her and in 2004, after completing her undergrad, Ani designed her own mermaid tail for swimming. She was fortunate to be able to attend mermaid camp at Weeki Wachee in 2014. Wanting to swim like the Weeki Wachee mermaids, Ani developed her own air hose system which allows her to stay underwater for extended periods of time. Ever working to expand her mermaid skill set, she completed her PADI Freediver Certification in 2016. Ani advanced her SCUBA diving to the professional level earning her Divemaster Certification in 2017 and in 2021, when PADI offered the opportunity to become a Mermaid Instructor, she jumped at the chance, completing her certification in March of 2021. Ani has worked to bring mermaiding opportunities to the high deserts of Utah and beyond, offering classes for anyone who wishes to to achieve their dream of being a mermaid or anyone looking for new a fun ways to have fun in the water. Ani is confident that all students will receive the highest quality instruction as she has a background in Art and Art Education and has been a professional Educator since 2003. Ani believes everyone has the ability to enjoy the water and be at home in it. She works to create that access point for anyone who is interested in learning how to be more comfortable in the water. As mammals, we all have natural reflexes that aid us in swimming and diving, we just need to develop those reflexes. Her goal is to help everyone find their place in the water- either as a mermaid and/or a freediver. Certifications and Credentials:
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Elsa Schmidke PADI MERMAID INSTRUCTOR, SCUBA INSTRUCTOR Elsa instructs Mermaid Courses with Aqua Native! Elsa is a PADI Professional Mermaid Instructor, Open Water Scuba Instructor, and Freediver. Her love for water has been reflected throughout her life in her hobbies, sports, and career. Some would say her love started as young as three years old, when she was gifted her first pair of swim goggles. This kickstarted her 14 year long competitive swimming career, which led her to receive multiple 4A state championship titles, as well as being named captain of the Skyline High School varsity team in 2017. Elsa also grew up with a fascination for aquatic life. At just 12 years old, she decided she wanted to be a marine biologist when she grew up. She spent years working hard to achieve her dream by volunteering with her local aquarium, taking scuba classes, and receiving her bachelor's degree in Zoology from Weber State University. Her hard work paid off and Elsa currently works as a Jellyfish and Coral specialist for Loveland Living Planet Aquarium. Elsa continued her professional scuba career by becoming a certified PADI Divemaster in 2017, and a few years later received her Open Water Scuba Instructor certification in 2021. She loves teaching classes at Dive Utah and is excited at the idea of helping others love and respect the underwater world as much as she does. Elsa has been involved with Aqua Natives since the beginning. Elsa and Ani met at Dive Utah and started working together in 2015. Shortly after meeting, Elsa and Ani were certified as PADI Freedivers in 2016. Elsa was among the first to certify as a Mermaid and Advanced Mermaid when the program first started in 2021. She instantly fell in love with the art and beauty of mermaiding and continued to practice whenever she could. Elsa received her Mermaid Instructor rating in 2024 and is excited to help others find the joy that she found. We are excited to have on the team! Certifications and Credentials:
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