The Mermaids of Weeki Wachee Springs
A time-honored tradition once witnessed by Elvis Presley gives viewers the opportunity to see a natural spring - and its inhabitants - from 16 feet below the water's surface.
by Mary Dansk
There is a place where mermaids swim in a crystal-clear spring, where you can watch them up close from a fish’s point of view, where magic and childlike wonder reign supreme. For 76 years, these mermaids of Weeki Wachee Springs have enchanted visitors day after day, without pause, 365 days a year.
You may have heard of the mermaids of Weeki Wachee Springs. For many, these words conjure a nostalgic memory of roadside attractions, once a staple of the quintessential American family vacation. Florida, a destination for tourism ever since Ponce de Leon’s quest for the Fountain of Youth, was once home to a host of quirky venues like the Atomic Tunnel, Casper’s Alligator and Ostrich Farm, and Cypress Gardens. Sadly, most of these attractions are long gone, gobbled up by interstate travel and Disney theme parks.
The mermaid show at Weeki Wachee Springs not only survived but thrives as a central attraction in Hernando County, otherwise known as Florida’s Adventure Coast. This is, in large part, due to the foresight of donating the venue to the state of Florida in 2008 at which time it was incorporated into Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.
“While a mermaid show is not the typical state park attraction,” says John Athanason, tourism marketing specialist for Florida’s Adventure Coast, “the state of Florida recognizes mermaids as part of its unique culture.”
The mermaid show at Weeki Wachee Springs is a one-of-a-kind experience. Sinking a 400-seat theater into a first-magnitude natural spring would never get past today’s necessary environmental regulations.
The only theater of its kind in the world, it affords viewers the opportunity to see a natural spring from 16 feet below the water’s surface, something most would never otherwise experience. Add in visiting fish, turtles, and manatees with the limestone rock and cave formations in the background, and the mermaid show begins to feel more like a state park exhibit, showcasing the state’s natural flora, fauna, and geology.
And of course, there are the mermaids. Performing daily, the mermaids, and a few mermen, or princes as they are called here, glide behind the 4-inch glass partition with smiles on their faces, tails gracefully swishing, eyes wide, engaging the audience with their friendly myth-worthy presence.
With an obvious lack of any SCUBA gear, the mermaids appear quite at home underwater, as if they have gills. In fact, they breathe in compressed air from inconspicuous air hoses which they keep by their sides, sometimes incorporating them into their dance moves. Placing the hose into her mouth, a mermaid releases just the necessary amount of air using a small lever.
That specific quantity of air depends on what she’s doing, which is more than just supplying oxygen to the bloodstream. These mermaids control their buoyancy with the air in the lungs in a similar manner to the way fish control their spot in the water column with swim bladders. Mermaids inhale and exhale as part of their choreography, breathing in to twist and turn, and breathing out to descend to the depths.
Watching the Weeki Wachee mermaids swim about in this gorgeous, natural spring, many dare to dream about adventuring beneath the surface.
John, present for mermaid auditions, explains, “You don’t have to have a dance background or be an athlete. Being a mermaid isn’t about the color of your hair or the size or shape of your body. The most important thing is you must be comfortable in the water.”
Future mermaids are required to pass a grueling endurance test, which includes swimming 400 meters in 16 minutes. This eliminates about half of the applicant pool, according to John. For those who pass, the next step is to go into the springs for some simple ballet maneuvers like back flips. John reiterates that this part of the audition is not about mastering these moves, but at showcasing their apparent comfort level underwater.
From there, applicants sit for an interview on land.
Once hired as a Weeki Wachee mermaid, the training begins. Mermaids must master the rules of diving, becoming SCUBA certified as well as learning how to breathe through the air hose.
“I wanted to see the springs and the props myself, firsthand,” John laughs. “I got SCUBA certified, then thought, ‘Let me try this air hose thing.’ I couldn’t do it! I worked at it for over an hour and gave up.”
In addition to learning the technical aspects of manipulating their breath and the air hose, mermaids must memorize and execute dramatic routines and choreography in a challenging environment. With no weights or gear, these athletic swimmers are dancing, acting, and diving in a first-magnitude spring, where 175 million gallons of water gush forth each day from the mouth of a cave, just a few feet in diameter, 75 feet below the water’s surface.
The deepest naturally occurring spring in the United States, water flows from Weeki Wachee’s aquifers out to the river at a steady rate of five miles per hour. For comparison, most lazy river attractions flow at one to two miles per hour. While this current is an excellent natural prop for flowing hair and swishing tails, mermaids must continuously adapt to the water’s movement, and resist its steady push.
They also contend with the cold water. At a constant 72 degrees, the water is more than 20 degrees below a human’s body temperature. With the mermaids completely underwater during their performances, the shows are capped at 30 minutes.
“Anything longer than 30 minutes can lead to hypothermia,” explained John.
Of course, not everyone dreams of actually becoming a mermaid. For those wanting a mere taste of the mermaid life, Weeki Wachee Springs offers mermaid camps.
As well as a Junior Mermaid camp for kids ages 7-14, Weeki Wachee Springs hosts “Sirens of the Deep,” a two-day mermaid training camp for adults. This class is taught by the Legendary Sirens, veteran mermaids who performed in the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s and reunited more than 25 years ago to celebrate Weeki Wachee Springs’s 50th anniversary. Over the course of a weekend, mermaid-curious adults can fulfill their mermaid aspirations, learning how to swim while wearing a mermaid tail and performing popular mermaid moves in the spring’s basin.
Women, and a few men, come from all over the country to participate in this adult mermaid camp.
“All eight sessions of Sirens of the Deep sell out within the first hour that we post them,” according to John. If you are disappointed to have missed out on the 2024 offerings, you can download the “Friends of Weeki Wachee” mobile app to stay informed of upcoming dates.
The mermaids of Weeki Wachee Springs have delighted Florida’s visitors and residents alike since their introduction in 1947. In this rapidly changing world, Weeki Wachee’s mermaids offer a chance for multiple generations to delight together in old-fashioned, time-tested entertainment.
To learn more about the mermaids and explore activities such as kayaking and paddleboarding, visit Weeki Wachee Springs State Park’s website.