New Zealander Nadya Vessey is a real-life mermaid.

She lost both of her legs due to a childhood illness and several years ago, approached Weta Workshop who designed a one-of-a-kind apparatus that would allow her to swim.

The tail is made of wetsuit fabric and plastic mold in addition to digitally-imaged effects which allow Nadya to swim quite effectively, though it took some getting used to (Hey, even mermaids have learning curves!)

Nadya Vessey's prosthetic tail is mostly constructed from wetsuit fabric and plastic molds, and covered in a digitally printed sock.