If you haven’t been to Galapagos’ new home in Dumbo, it’s well worth the trek. Unlike the old space, every seat in the house here has access to the large stage. Perched on the mezzanine, my date and I peered over the railing at the cloverleaf shaped seating and into the venue’s trademark, black inky pools of water.  “Don’t fall in,” I warned my friend.  “But isn’t this a mermaid thing?” she shot back.  Touché. We were, after all, attending The Mermaid Ball.

Put on by sword swallowing mistress of the stage, Lady Aye (aka Ilise Carter), the event celebrated the development of her film Mermaids of New York, which she is producing with Mica Scalin.  “A lot of ladies in New York are obsessed with mermaids,” Lady Aye said while manning the vestibule in her long peach colored gown.  “It’s kind of weird since New York isn’t a tropical place.”

The duo has worked on the film for over a year and they project it will be completed in January.  Opening for the film, the band Lavalier, which consequently also did the soundtrack, played a dreamy set under lights that made it appear to be in a fish tank. As the cute upstairs bartender kept me from drying out with dirty martinis, other mermaid fans hydrated themselves with pomegranate margaritas and cilantro gimlets.  After a burlesque stint by Legs Malone, the film screened. The 10-minute clip featured Brooklyn Babydoll (“I am a mermaid, what are you talking about?”), Dame Darcy (who wanted to be like Darrel Hannah in Splash), New School oyster professor Mara Calamara (“I always wanted to be a fish”) and other sea faring woman who dream of the half life.

When asked how she got involved in this fishy documentary, Bambi the Mermaid (and the first Miss Coney Island) replied, “I was busy doing my under the sea activities and they hooked me.”