Mermaid fin swim accessories take off

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BYRON BAY, Australia, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- An Australian woman who created rubber mermaid tails for young girls to wear while swimming said she was shocked at their popularity.

Kazzie Mahina of Byron Bay said she never dreamed her creations would be selling out of Sydney stores before even being stocked and topping multiple online lists as the No. 1 Christmas toy for girls under the age of 15, The (Sydney) Daily Telegraph reported Friday.

"People laughed at me 10 years ago when I started. But it was my dream and I kept at it," she said.

Mahina said the fins have passed muster with water safety experts.

"They were developed to inspire the hearts, imagination and dreams of children," she said.