Secret Florida

Yeah, right… Mermaids. Wait, what?

I was skeptical when we first sat down at the theater. But when the curtains rolled up, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The stage was a natural cave, and in the middle there were three beautiful women floating, dancing and singing… underwater.

It was Weeki Wachee’s Live Mermaid show, where women dressed in fancy swimsuits with fish tails perform an underwater musical. Surreal.

Ok, wait. Weeki what? Weeki Wachee is a natural spring and a city located on Florida’s west coast, close to Tampa. Named by the Seminole Indians, it means either “little spring” or “winding river”. And it is definitely little! According to the last census, the cities’ population is only 12 people. After that fun data detail, it’s not surprising they have such a unique mermaid.

But what was really impressive is that the mermaids lasted somewhere between 30 to 40 minutes under water, only getting air from a hose every couple of minutes. While they moved around the aquarium dancing the most beautiful underwater ballet and smiling to a packed auditorium, they sang without choking even once. Seriously!

After that show, my day couldn’t be the same anymore. No, I didn’t come out rushing to the gift shop to buy myself the little mermaid’s costume, which they sell of course. But I did come out feeling I’d seen something special and unique. And I had!

Weeki Wachee’s Mermaid show is not only one of its kind in the world, it’s also historic. The show was opened back in 1947, and since then women travel from throughout the country to fulfill their dream of being a mermaid. There is an actual pride in being a Weeki Wachee Mermaid.

So before leaving the park, I wanted to become a mermaid for a day, and I did. At least for this picture.