Diamond of the Sea.

Baseball Mermaid

North Port, Florida

Oft mesmerized by mermaids in our travels, we've spotted sculptures in parks and live performers in tourist attractions and bars. This briny temptress is special in a jump-the-shark way that confuses yet attracts.

"Diamond of the Sea" was created by artist David Griffin in 2021 as part of the Venice Art Center "Fantasea Venice" public art project. Dozens of unpainted identical mermaids were distributed to local artists to modify with beautiful and/or crazy themes and augmentations. They were displayed publicly for two years, then auctioned off.

"Diamond of the Sea" is a blue mermaid with a scallop shell bra. She sits on bed of sea life and baseballs and rests against a big baseball-stitched starfish. Griffin notes that she "Celebrates the harmony between art and sport." And mermaids.

It makes more sense when seen in person -- it's in the plaza outside the Atlanta Braves Spring training ballpark in North Port. The mermaid was donated by the Braves and installed permanently in 2024 in the CoolToday Park.

Baseball Mermaid

CoolToday Park

Address:: 18800 W. Villages Pkwy, North Port, FL
Directions:: CoolToday Park. On the plaza outside the Atlanta Braves spring training ballpark. From US-41/S. Tamaiami Trail, turn south at the stoplight onto W. Villages Pkwy. Drive one mile, cross Playmore Rd, then turn left into the parking lot.

Nearby Offbeat Places

Warm Mineral Springs Motel: Populuxe Style, North Port, FL - 4 mi.

Grave Shaped Like Boat, Englewood, FL - 6 mi.

Shark Tooth Capital of the World, Venice, FL - 8 mi.

In the region:

Tervis Tumbler: Two Stories Tall, North Venice, FL - 10 mi.

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