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She invested in a $100 tail and transformed her curiosity into a enchanting mermaid profession

More than 70% of Americans say a rewarding career or job is extremely important to live a fulfilling life — more important than family, friends, or wealth. CBS News interviewed a broad array of workers who chose unique jobs, for a series we call: Unique jobs, extraordinary lives.

A decade ago, Marielle Henault was living in Montreal and had just been laid off from her job at a large telecommunications company.

A friend of the 24-year-old Canadian knew she liked to swim and thought a video of a mermaid school in Germany could cheer her up while she was in a rough spot.

“I just fell in love,” Henault said after watching the video of mermaids swimming. She said then and there “I decided I wanted to be a mermaid myself.”

Marielle Henault, a professional mermaid, poses on a rock.
Marielle Henault

At that time, Henault said, she didn’t know of many mermaid schools in North America so she decided to open a school in Canada – for herself and others who wanted to learn the craft. There was very little information at the time and she didn’t know how to become a mermaid. She bought a basic fabric tail with a mono fin and said she “paid about $100” to begin — entering a career and a community that has brought her around the world and more joy than she ever expected, Henault said.

A mermaid’s tale

Known as a symbol of luck, fertility, and beauty — but also as destructive as the nature of water — mermaid tales are told in cultures around the world with the earliest legend appearing in Syria around 1000 BC.

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Humans have always had a fascination with mermaids, writes University of Liverpool professor Sarah Peverley, a medieval historian, and mermaid expert on her blog. She writes that the “medieval church used mermaids and sirens to teach Christians about sin and salvation.” Books, videos, and fairy tales including Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved, “The Little Mermaid,” which has been made into numerous movie versions and Disney iterations have kept the public’s interest alive in these sea creatures.

This fascination grew into today’s mermaid economy which can range from teaching exercise classes to participating in mermaid competitions – allowing this quirky niche to become a full-time career for some. Mermaids can compete in competitions; the China Mermaid Open Championship drew 60 competitors from around the world in 2023, and the Miss Mermaid, King & Queen of the Seas competition was featured on the Netflix series, MerPeople.

A mermaid competition in Hurghada, Egypt. Forty mermaids competed for prizes in this international competition.
Marielle Henault

There is no official directory of how many professional mermaids there are in the world, but Henault knows about 1,000 mermaids, she told CBS News in an interview from Krabi, Thailand. She met some of them joining mermaid competitions around the globe, and others while building her career.

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Is now the right time to invest in gold as prices have cooled?

Now may be the time to buy gold following a recent lull in its price.

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The price of gold has climbed to record highs recently and has remained strong through much of April. And, that growth continued until the precious metal traded at around $2,390 per ounce on April 19, 2024. But since, growth in the price of the precious metal has cooled, with gold’s price now hovering around $2,300 per ounce.

This lull in gold’s price may represent an investment opportunity.

In general, investing is centered around buying assets when prices are low and selling them when prices are high – generating a profit on the difference between the two. So, considering the declines in gold’s price over the past few days, now may be the time to make your investment. But is buying gold during this lull in prices really a good idea?

Compare your gold investment options among leading brokers now.

Gold prices have cooled. Should you buy in now?

With gold’s price down from recent highs, you may be wondering if now is the right time to buy in. There are several reasons the dip in gold’s price may represent an opportunity to buy. Here are some of the biggest:

Prices may rise again

If looking at a gold price chart shows anything for certain, it shows that changes in the overall growth of the medal come in fits and spurts. Periods of price growth are typically followed by periods of declines and vice versa.

But with inflation rising in recent months – and with gold’s reputation as a safe-haven asset that can hedge against inflation – it only makes sense that the price of the precious metal will eventually start to head up again in the future. While attempting to time that directional change may be tricky, buying the precious metal while the price is down gives you the opportunity to take advantage of any upward movement that may be ahead.

Add gold to your portfolio now before prices have a chance to rise.

You may be able to make a quick profit

Gold isn’t known as an asset in which you can earn a quick return, but in today’s market, that may be the case. Don’t forget that in January, gold was trading at just $2,000 per ounce. And, by mid-April, the commodity’s price had climbed to around $2,400 per ounce. That’s about 20% growth in a matter of months, much of which happened since March 1 – an impressive climb for any investment asset.

Perhaps more importantly, gold’s price growth through the beginning of 2024 shows that the commodity doesn’t have to be a buy and hold style investment that you keep in a safety deposit box or precious metal depository for years to come. There’s also the possibility that the commodity’s price could climb further ahead, making it a compelling way to potentially generate a quick profit.

There are other benefits of investing in gold

There are other benefits of investing in gold that have little to do with the price growth seen thus far in 2024 – or the lull in prices seen over the past couple of days. Those benefits include:

Inflation protection: Gold has long been considered an inflation hedge, and for good reason. When inflation drives the prices of consumer goods and services up – and the value of the dollar down – gold’s price tends to rise. So, it could be used to maintain the value of your portfolio during inflationary economic conditions. That’s important in today’s economic environment as stubborn inflation continues to weigh on the value of the dollar.
Portfolio diversification: Gold’s price doesn’t always move in the same pattern that bonds or stocks do. So, mixing a reasonable amount of gold into your portfolio (up to 10% of your portfolio assets) as a diversifier could protect you from losses should one or more of your traditional portfolio assets fall in value. “If you have less than 5% – 10% of your net worth in commodities & FX (forex), you should absolutely consider adding exposure to gold and other precious metals,” says Vijay Marolia, money manager and managing partner at the wealth management firm, Regal Point Capital.

The bottom line

Gold’s price has fallen from recent highs – which may represent an opportunity to tap into growth ahead. However, gold isn’t simply a “buy while it’s low and sell while it’s a high” kind of investment opportunity. The commodity can also protect your portfolio from the stubborn inflation we’ve seen thus far in 2024 while acting as a diversification tool that could increase your risk-adjusted portfolio returns. So, consider adding gold to your portfolio today while it has the potential to grow in value.

Joshua Rodriguez

Joshua Rodriguez is a personal finance and investing writer with a passion for his craft. When he’s not working, he enjoys time with his wife, two kids, two dogs and two ducks.