About

Hi, I’m Mermaid Memories Owner “Mermaid Jules” (Julie Lefmann)! I have always loved the ocean, mermaids, & photography. I feel that Santa Cruz and I mer-made for each other; I am super grateful to have lived here all of my adult life, where the redwoods meet the ocean.

I grew up with a pool in my San Jose backyard, & went water-skiing at lakes every Summer with my family. These days I get my water fix by visiting the ocean at the end of my street, taking hot springs trips, giving & receiving Watsu (water massage in a heated, private pool—Mermaid Massage!!), getting into rivers & lakes, & traveling to oceanic mermaid playgrounds like Fiji, the Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, Belize, the Hawai’ian islands, New Zealand, Mexico… I love to swim, SCUBA & snorkel, & even named my beloved rescue dog Scuba.

On land, I love to take redwood & beach walks, ride my beach cruiser, cook, bake, juice, garden, take photographs, sing, play guitar, write, see live music & comedy shows, & love up my Scuba dog.

I earned a B.A. from Chico State in 2001, then started on the healing arts path. A Triple Pisces, I’m very much a water-baby & this informs my bodywork. My fluid-like massage movement is a combination of Hawai’ian Lomilomi (patterned after the ocean) & Deep Tissue. I was also a Birth Doula for over 12 years & 200+ births, & have had the privilege of attending a Waterbirth. ☺

I became a Certified Professional Mermaid through PADI on Maui in May of 2021.

When I’m not mermaid-ing, I offer Massage, Reiki & Watsu through my other business With My Own Two Hands, est. in 2001: www.WithMyOwnTwoHands.net.

After my 1st mermaid experience in 2016 on St. John (V.I.), I often floated the idea of offering a similar experience in my gorgeous hometown of Santa Cruz. It wasn’t until I decided to give up full-time birth doula work and the on-call life that Mermaid Memories Santa Cruz could finally surface in the Summer of 2018.