Thousands of years ago, the Syrian goddess of the sea, Atargatis, transformed herself into a mermaid by flinging herself into a lake. She emerged with the lower body of a fish and upper body of a human. Ever since, mermaids and mermen have captivated the imaginations of people and cultures around the world.

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) will present Mermaids: Visualizing the Myths and Legends Through Photography by Ralph Clevenger and some of his friends. The art exhibit opening and artist’s reception will be 5-6 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, (members only) and 6-7 p.m. (free to the public) at SBMM, 113 Harbor Way.

Clevenger grew up on the coast of North Africa and began diving with his father in the Mediterranean Sea at the age of 7. He went on to study zoology and worked for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego as a diver/biologist before attending Brooks Institute of Photography.

Clevenger was a senior faculty member at the Brooks Institute for 33 years, teaching courses in natural history and underwater photography, among other photo and video courses.

Visualizing the myths and legends of mermaids through photography was a part of the underwater photography course Clevenger taught at Brooks. The show highlights images he and a few of his former students created during extended trips to the Channel Islands.

Based in Santa Barbara, Clevenger is pursuing his passion for the natural world by specializing in location photography and video projects of eco-travel, environmental portraits, wildlife and undersea subjects. He’s traveled on assignment for clients such as Fox Sports, University of California, Denali National Park Wilderness Center, National Marine Sanctuaries, and Light & Motion Industries.

Clevenger’s publication credits include Audubon, Afar, Islands, Oceans, Nature’s Best, National Geographic, Terre Sauvage, and other national and international publications. He is the author of the book “Photographing Nature,” published by New Riders.

RSVP and register at sbmm.org or call 805-456-8747.

The talk is sponsored by Mimi Michaelis, Alice Tweed Tuohy Foundation, and Wood-Claeyssens Foundation.