australian television information archive

Lyla (Lucy Fry)

A loner and a bit of a rebel, Lyla loves her life as a mermaid and is perfectly content swimming alone all day. She has her own fun in her own way, and she isn't used to having to rely on others — or even cooperating — so she can be a little prickly at times.

When the three mermaids decide to venture onto land to rectify their mistake, Lyla takes a mercenary approach — get legs, sort out the problem, get back to the ocean. But things don't quite go as smoothly as she planned, and Lyla has to accept that she might be on land for a while — but she doesn't have to like it!

As a general rule, Lyla doesn't like mingling with land-dwellers — but as the series progresses, despite her best efforts, she is drawn to Zac. She becomes Zac's go to confidant, but conflict arises when Zac learns she hid her secret from him and means to take his powers away. Will Lyla's feelings for Zac win out over her desire to go back to the ocean?

Nixie (Ivy Latimer)

Nixie is adventurous and fun-loving to the extent that she sometimes gets herself in trouble, acting before she thinks. It's Nixie's mischievousness that helps lead to disaster for Sirena, Nixie and Lyla when they accidentally let Zac into the Moon Pool.

Nixie thinks both Sirena and Lyla could afford to lighten up. Since she was a hatchling, she's been obsessed with land-dwellers, and has spent countless hours watching them from mainland beaches. Because of this, she is more familiar than the others with the ways of humans, from fashion to ordering food in cafes. That said — her knowledge of human social rules is sometimes patchier than she would like to admit — and though Nixie throws herself into life on land, she often gets things wrong — much to the amusement of the other mermaids!

Sirena (Amy Ruffle)

Sirena has been Nixie's best friend since they were hatchlings. Sirena is a little naive, very trusting, can be unsure of herself at times and is easily treated like a doormat. Where Nixie is the leader, Sirena is the follower. She is loyal almost to a fault. She is a little clumsy and of all three mermaids, struggles with legs the most.

Sirena is initially cautious around Lyla, but quickly realises that they'll all need to stick together to succeed on land. With Nixie and Lyla always at each others' throats, Sirena plays the role of mediator — but often wishes she wasn't stuck in the middle. Although she's normally patient with them, sometimes it all gets too much and Sirena snaps — and Lyla and Nixie don't want to be around when Sirena loses her temper!

Although the others rarely pay attention to what Sirena has to say, she can some- times come out of left field with a streak of genius that can help them find their way out of sticky situations. As the series progresses, placid Sirena gradually earns the other mermaids' respect as an important member of the group

Zac (Chai Romruen / Chai Hansen)

Good looking and charming, Zac starts out as an all-round nice guy. He's popular and sporty, always off on some adventure or another with best mate Cam. He and Cam have a healthy and long-running rivalry — based firmly in good-hearted mateship. The rivalry fuels both boys in everything they do — and they banter constantly. But truth be told, they both win as often as they lose. They are essentially equals. That is until the Moon Pool endows Zac with amazing powers and the ability to morph into a sea creature.

When he first gets a tail, Zac experiences a range of different emotions. First he's plain stunned, then intrigued, then bummed — after all, his new status as half-fish undeniably makes him a bit of a freak. In addition, he knows he can't get wet in front of people without morphing — and that would be a disaster. But he soon finds out that the perks of his powers outweigh the negatives, and starts to embrace his new identity. This causes a rift in his friendship with Cam — who is used to being Zac's equal, and is jealous of his new abilities.

When things hit rock bottom with Cam, Lyla, Sirena and Nixie learn of Zac's powers and Zac finds a new support network. It's Lyla that Zac feels most comfortable confiding in, causing problems with his girlfriend, Evie. This all changes when Zac discovers not only that Lyla is a mermaid — but that she wants to take his amazing new powers. The battle-lines are drawn…

Mimmi (Allie Bertram)

Mimmi is a northern mermaid who came to the southern pod with unusual knowledge and powers. She is sweet, and although inclined to be reserved — some would even say shy — she is super-intelligent and gifted, though more academic and theoretical than worldly.

And the exciting thing is she's still learning. No one knows how powerful Mimmi can become — not even herself. Mimmi has an insatiable thirst for knowledge, and is excited to be on land discovering everything she can about land people and their lives. She begins a friendship with Evie, as they share a fascination with each other's worlds; and envies the ease with which Sirena can live in both.

Mimmi and Ondina have differing strengths, which complement one another. Ondina never seems to lack confidence and Mimmi always knows she can turn to her for support, just as Ondina can always turn to Mimmi when her impetuous nature gets her into trouble.

Mimmi will face her greatest challenge when she discovers that Zac is her brother. Learning to be a sister will be fun, but also a little scary. Mimmi and Zac discover they have a special connection that helps them to look after each other in times of trouble.

Ondina (Isabel Durant)

Ondina is a mermaid from the Mako pod who takes the bold step of leaving, with her best friend Mimmi, to save Mako Island — without the Mermaid Council's permission.

Ondina may be full of talent and determination, but she can also be reckless and willful, and has a problem listening to anyone who doesn't agree with her. Just ask Sirena. Ondina refuses to believe her claim that Zac is not a danger to mermaids, so it's inevitable they clash. But as they get to know one another, Ondina and Sirena start to appreciate and respect each other's strengths.

Although she can be stubborn and single minded, Ondina is also fiercely loyal to Mimmi. They have been friends forever and Ondina is full of admiration for Mimmi's extraordinary magical abilities.

Initially dismissive of land people — and land boys in particular — Ondina's assumptions are challenged by Erik, the new waiter at the Ocean Café. Ondina is devastated when she accidentally reveals her tail to him, but Erik's willingness to keep her secret is soon explained — he is a merman. Their relationship develops, and eventually she has her first kiss. But Erik has plans that he keeps hidden from Ondina. In the struggle to save Mako, the time will come when Ondina has to choose between her best friend and her boyfriend.

Weilan (Linda Ngo)

Weilan is an Eastern mermaid who has lived on land ever since a terrifying water dragon attacked and scattered the Eastern pod when she was young.

When the same dragon reappears in Mako, Weilan must embrace the mermaid life again, revealing hidden depths of talent and knowledge of Eastern mermaid ways. Sassy and smart, Weilan initially clashes with Ondina, who blames her for bringing the dragon to Mako. But despite a troubled beginning, they're destined to become great friends.

Cam (Dominic Deutscher)

Cam is Zac's offsider and best mate. Cam is good at most things, same as Zac — but his exuberance can put people off especially girls, with whom he is hopeless to a comedic extent. He doesn't mind the constant rejection — it's all part of a big game as far as Cam's concerned.

When Zac is transformed, Cam is the first person he tells — and Cam's response is to try and find any way to exploit the situation for profit. Zac refuses, not wanting to draw attention to himself. As Zac's powers grow, Cam feels increasingly left out. He tries to make a place for himself in Zac's new life, but mostly finds himself covering for Zac and having to lie to Zac's girl- friend, Evie. Cam tires of being the meat in the sandwhich between them, and when Zac refuses to tell the truth, Cam has had enough. But can he really abandon his best mate?

David (Rowan Hills)

David is the boy-next-door — cute, honest, matter-of-fact, and always happy to help out. David works at his dad's cafe business. His family own the beloved Ocean Café and are well liked in the local community.

There's instant puppy-love chemistry between David and Sirena, but Sirena resists, knowing that getting involved with David would only complicate things.

David's the sort of trustworthy, dependable guy who Sirena thinks could be entrusted with their secret. Not that she's going to tell him. And although David might suspect something strange is going on with Sirena and her friends, he minds his own business — happy just to spend time with Sirena.

Evie (Gemma Forsyth)

Evie (short for Evangeline) is a good looking, easy going, sporty girl with a strong work ethic and plenty of ambition to get ahead in life. She has always been a battler. Nothing has ever been delivered to her on a silver platter. Whatever she's achieved, she's done it herself.

Apart from working hard at school, she also works the small shop/dive business outlet at the Ocean Café. Evie stocks and sells sporty beachwear items, as well as booking the scuba diving tours and other aquatic activities that her father runs off the local beaches.

A keen triathlete, she trains hard on the beach and in the water, which is how she and Zac originally met up and began dating. Both share a love of the beach and an active lifestyle, so it was inevitable that out of shared training sessions romance would blossom.

When Nixie, Sirena and Lyla appear on the scene, Evie notices the rather odd, unusual out-of-towners — but only begins to resent their presence when Zac spends increasing amounts of time with them instead of her. Worried that her life is about to come crashing down, Evie cannot help but become suspicious, especially of Lyla. She and Zac used to have something really good going on. Is this newcomer going to mean the end of that?

Erik (Alex Cubis)

Erik is the new, good-looking, teenage boy on the Gold Coast. He has a light, easy, manner and soon makes friends through his part-time job at the Ocean Café. He is also quick to notice the attractive girls at the café, in particular Ondina. The only person who seems immune to his charm is Zac. There's something about Erik that makes Zac wary — and for good reason. Erik is not what he seems; he's a merman.

Unlike mermaids, mermen do not live in pods with other mermen. Instead they are raised on land, by land people, blending in so that no-one ever guesses their secret — although Erik sometimes cheekily pushes his luck on that point.

Erik has not come to the Gold Coast by accident. Word has spread in the mer-people's world of the land boy transformed at Mako, and he wants to see for himself what the story is. When he discovers a merman chamber on Mako, he becomes even more determined to learn the secrets of the island and perhaps control the chamber. He is single-minded and stubborn, just like Ondina. He falls for Ondina in a big way and will soon face the biggest choice of his life — his relationship with Ondina, or control of Mako. He cannot have both, but which will he choose?

Rita (Kerith Atkinson)

At first glance, Rita seems to be a totally normal land person. But she has a secret; she's actually a mermaid. When she was younger, Rita swam with the pod off Mako Island. But she fell in love with a land person, Harry. She used to sneak off and get legs to spend time with him — until the pod discovered what she was up to. She became a pariah. So Rita made the decision to leave the pod and forged a life for herself with Harry amongst the land people.

Although Harry passed away, Rita has been successful on land and is now the principal of the local high school. She has survived and protected her true identity by keeping a somewhat cool and distant outer image.

Although a bit lonely sometimes, Rita has more or less adapted to her life. That is until three young mermaids turn up and ask for help. Rita is torn — she gave up mermaid life, and she doesn't want three reckless young mermaids blowing her cover. But Rita can't turn them away. As she becomes their mermaid mentor and guide, Rita discovers that although there are complications, the mermaids bring companionship and laughter back into her life. She might even start to enjoy the craziness!

Carly (Brooke Lee)

Carly is a bright, cheerful girl who works at the Ocean Café. She has a straight talking, no-nonsense approach, but she also has a kind and caring heart. She's Evie's best friend and is always there for her with a smile and an encouraging word. After Evie becomes a mermaid, Carly begins to notice strange things happening around Evie, who feels bad about keeping the secret from her. Carly is hurt that her best friend is hiding something, but when she finally discovers the secret world of mermaids and mermen, Carly will prove to be a loyal and trustworthy ally.

While Carly is an excellent waitress at the café, she also has an amazing singing voice. Thanks to Cam's encouragement, she takes a chance to sing at the café, impressing everyone with her vocal abilities. Her friendship with Cam slowly develops over the course of the series until finally they admit their feelings for one another, and a new relationship begins. Carly and Cam may be very different people on the outside, but their differences complement each other. Cam is a devoted, kind boyfriend who makes Carly laugh and brings out the best in her, while Carly helps to keep Cam grounded, encouraging him to be happy just to be himself.

Chris (Taylor Glockner)

Chris is a gentle young man who is passionate about the sea, its creatures and mysteries. Thanks to some coaching by Mimmi, Chris was accepted into a dolphin training course in the US and has just returned to the Gold Coast to take up a position as a dolphin trainer at the Marine Park. Chris doesn't know that Mimmi is a mermaid but he knows there's something unusual about her and is keen to get to know her better.

Karl (Mikey Wulff)

Karl trained with Chris in the US and also new to the Marine Park, Karl is down to earth and not so interested in the mysteries of the sea. He's more into shark research, boats and scuba diving. Karl is aware that strange things are happening but is convinced there's a simple explanation for everything. He's keen on Weilan but though she doesn't return his interest, Karl's not the kind of guy to take no for an answer.

Rikki (Cariba Heine)

Rikki is a teenage girl who became a mermaid. When her friends Cleo and Emma grew up and moved away, Rikki hid her true identity behind the guise of a mysterious diver who recovers strange and wonderful artifacts from the deep oceans. She tours the world, lecturing about her finds and signing copies of her books, hoping that one day she will find replacements for the friends she has lost.

Poseidon (Monte)

Rita's cat Poseidon is an exotic white longhair Chinchilla. He is Rita's closest friend and companion, guarding her house and possessions… and also his very own mystical secret…