Let's think. She was 16 in her first movie, and in the second movie, Melody was 12, so 12 + 16 = 28.

I think she was prob. around 18 or so. She matured a little and had a chance to enjoy married life before having a child.

@chillyneon - where was it stated? 26 or 29 that seems a little too big of an age gap.

Ariel doesn't look very old at all in the second movie so I'd have to say right around 17-18 years old..

I always thought that it was implied that she was just coming back from her honeymoon in the beginning of the movie, because it felt like Sebastian had been a lot of time without seeing her while he sang "Land and sea". Plus, Eric said "Ariel, we'd better be going" in the beginning, feeling that they had been travelling for some time.

I think either 18, 19, or early 20s.

Maybe

@chillyneon- they were asking how old was she when she gave birth to Melody....not how old was she in the second movie when Melody was grown. We don't know how long she was 16 or when her actual b-day is and you carry a baby for about 9 months...so I am thinking she may have gotten pregnant right away and then turned 17 during the pregnancy and was that age when she actually had her....

It was between 17 to 18 cause in the sequel she is 18 at the beginning when Melody is all grown up sh is in her 20. Is official.

I hope 20... or 21-25... 16-17 is too early to make kids!! =/

Because She looked 32 in the second film

18-19

I'd say 17-21 but for some reason I think 19.

or 19

Possibly 18. I think she would have become pregnant fairly soon after getting married, and it would have been the normal age to have children in those days.

Or 17, people had kids young in her time, and she looks really young still in the sequel.

Agree with Jessikaroo.

Giving time for the 9 months of pregnancy, yep. Ariel probably got pregnant pretty soon after getting married because of the lack of birth control etc.

mmm I dont think 17. Ariel would have wanted to enjoy SOME time with Eric after being married. If she had Melody at 20, She'd be 32 in the second movie and I think that's how old she looked. You can't really tell the difference between women in their late 20s and early 30s)

I think 17. In the sequel she still looks younger than 30. I think Ariel and Eric have Melody right after they're married.

She looked very young when Melody was a baby.

honestly i thought she was around 35 when melody was 12

Age is hard to guess by looking...especially with an animated character (I am 30 and I am mistaken for being 15)....I say she was proably in her late 20s in the second movie.

she looked kinda old in the next film and she has to somehow be an adult what seventeen year old looks like she's in her late 20's

According to Wikipedia (ik, credible source) Ariel is over 28 in the second film. Whether that is before melody is 12 or not I have no clue.

What does ik mean?

Well. I seeing as how the films directors Jim Kamerud and Brian Smith stated that Return to the sea takes place 12 years after the first film. And given the fact that Melody is 12 in the second movie, odds are Ariel most likely had Melody while she was 16 or shortly after turning 17.