City Of Mermaids
Once upon a time, seamen told tall tales of beautiful mermaid of unmarked seas.
The general population concedes that the mythical creatures couldn’t exist. However, Early Show Anchor Jane Clayson found that the aquatic creatures are attracting tourists to Florida’s Wekki Wachee Springs for more than half a century.
Tourist have visited Weeki Wachee Springs to view a scene right out of a fairy tale for over 50 years.
“It's definitely a strange occupation, being a mermaid,” said Morgana Sheldon. “A lot of people haven't heard of it and you say, ‘I'm a mermaid.’ They're kind of like, ‘What?’”
Sheldon says people are fascinated with mermaids because they are mythical creature of magic and the unknown.
Sheldon has performed as a mermaid in a unique underwater theater at Weeki Wachee Springs for nearly two years.
“Its definitively a family place,” Sheldon explained. “The little girls love it. Some of them think that it's real and that's when it's really sweet, when they think it's real.”
She says the toughest part of the job is learning to breathe from the air hose.
“That can kind of freak you out,” said Sheldon. “Swimming with a mermaid tail is different. We put flippers in there. It’s not as hard as you would think because the tails aren't very heavy and we just pull with our arms.”
The mermaids enter and exit by way of an underwater tunnel which gives the audience the illusion that they are swimming up from the beneath the spring.
“It is challenging to do underwater choreography because everything is blurry, we don’t wear masks,” explained Sheldon. “We can’t really see each other.”
Newt Perry, a Navy diver, created the theater and the mermaid show. He felt crystal clear waters, fed by an underground aquifer would be the perfect place to stage underwater spectacles.
“He started with the idea of underwater ballets and eating and drinking and just a demonstration,” said Barbara Wynns, a veteran mermaid. “And then over the years they progressed after 1960s to these stage plays which had lifts and props and costumes and story lines and music to go with it.”
Wynns was a mermaid in the 1960s and 70s and she remembers Weeki Wachee’s glory days.
“Early 60s, prior to Disney World, it was a place to see,” recollected Wynns. “We had at one time eight shows a day. People would be standing in line out to highway 19 on a holiday to get in.”
Today Wynns is part of a group of former mermaids who are proving that you’re never too old to wear a tail.
She says the youngest former mermaid is 47 years old and the oldest is 71 years old.
Once a week they practice their old routines and they perform once a month.
“We forget that we're 50 and 40 and 60 and 70. When you're in the water you feel 19. Our motto is once a mermaid always a mermaid,” said Wynns.
Today Weeki Wachee Springs is more than just a mermaid show. It is a little bit of history and a glimpse back to what Florida used to be.
Weeki Wachee Springs is located just 45 minutes north of Tampa at the intersection of U.S. Highway 19 and State Road 50.
Weeki Wachee Springs opens at 10:00 A.M. daily. Mermaid shows are available daily. Closing times may vary. Check Park schedule by calling 1-877-GO-WEEKI for additional information. General admission for adults is $16.95, children (Age 3 -10) is $12.95, and children under age 2 are admitted free.