
21 Feb Mermaids of Weeki Wachee Springs
According to their website, Weeki Wachee Springs is “The Only City of Live Mermaids!”; and, if that doesn’t intrigue you, well then you probably have similar interests to Micah and the majority of adults around the world.
When we were in Crystal River, FL, for our snorkeling with the manatees adventure, we passed a sign that stated: Weeki Wachee Springs 25 miles. I squealed with joy and told Micah that we just had to make a little detour to visit the mermaids. After all, The Little Mermaid was my favorite movie growing up and upon seeing this park featured on the Travel Channel when I was younger, I just knew I had to pay Ariel a visit one day when the opportunity presented itself. Well today was the day, and after a slight roll of his eyes and a chuckle at my regression into childhood, Micah agreed and off we went to delve into life under the sea.
Basically, the park consists of a Mermaid Theater, a river boat cruise, animal shows, a few restaurants and a water park called Buccaneer Bay. You are also able to dive and kayak around the springs when you book a tour through an outside tour company. We only had enough time to watch one mermaid show and jump on the river boat cruise, but we didn’t feel as though we were really missing out on anything else. The park is definitely past its glory days back in the 50’s, but it can still be a fun spot for kids (or big kids like me), especially on a warm day when the water park is open.
There are two different mermaid shows performed throughout the day; the first show is The Little Mermaid, which is a shortened version of the Disney movie. The other show is called Fish Tails; it is a show where the mermaids perform underwater feats such as eating, drinking, and musical numbers, and they give you a behind the scenes view into the technical aspects of the show as well. We made it just in time for the last showing of The Little Mermaid, and it was filled with all the cheesy goodness that I was expecting.
One of the things I loved about the show was the technical aspect behind it and the intriguing spring itself. The mermaids breathe through underwater breathing hoses where flowing oxygen is supplied from an air compressor; this allows the mermaids to swim freely without tanks.
As for the spring itself, it is so deep that no one has ever been able to find the bottom–every day, there are more than 117 million gallons of water that come up out of the caverns deep below. The current runs about 5 miles an hour, so the mermaids have quite a hard task to stay swimming in one area during the show. When the park was created, a submerged theater was built so that viewers could have a look directly into the spring in an aquarium type setting. This first theater was only 18 seats and 6 feet underground, but the theater was rebuilt in the 50’s and it now seats 500 and rests at 16 feet underground. During its heydays, the park received around a half million visitors per year; women from around the world came to audition for a job as a mermaid, and stars such as Elvis Presley and Arthur Godfrey even stopped in for a visit. How could you not be excited for this trip back to old-time Florida? I clearly was:
After the show, we hopped on the river boat cruise for a trip through the beautiful nature of the area. The 20 minute boat ride takes you down the Weeki Wachee River on a relaxed narrated tour, where the scenery consists of sparkling clear water, lush trees and lots of wildlife. We caught a glimpse of many varieties of birds and even a water moccasin, which absolutely terrified Micah due to his fear of snakes (cue chuckle repayment from Jenna).
While I enjoyed visiting the park and watching the performance live, Micah will surely give me a hard time for years to come for dragging him to this silly roadside attraction!
Heather - Outside the Den
Posted at 11:16h, 21 FebruaryTwitter: outsidetheden
Love it! This has been on my list for a long time – definitely up for the cheesy goodness!
Heather – Outside the Den recently posted…I Dream of Jeannie Tour of Cocoa Beach, FL
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 11:17h, 25 FebruaryYay! Glad to hear there are others out there that would enjoy this too 🙂 Definitely cheesy, but cheesy can be fun!
Jenna Kvidt recently posted…Snorkeling at Alligator Reef in the Florida Keys
The Dessert Engineer
Posted at 15:27h, 21 FebruaryTwitter: dessertengineer
Yes, we visited about two years ago. We enjoyed the show and the boat ride down the river.
The Dessert Engineer recently posted…Gems of Florida
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 11:17h, 25 FebruaryGlad you enjoyed it as well!
Jenna Kvidt recently posted…Snorkeling at Alligator Reef in the Florida Keys
mark
Posted at 07:56h, 22 FebruaryThose underwater breathing hoses makes them mermaids look more natural I bet. By the way, are you also allowed to swim with the mermaids ?
mark recently posted…Old Town vapor 10 angler kayak review
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 15:46h, 25 FebruaryI think you need to take part in a special program to swim with the mermaids. The swimming area by the water park is the only place that offers swimming year round.
Jenna Kvidt recently posted…Snorkeling at Alligator Reef in the Florida Keys
Heather
Posted at 17:05h, 23 FebruaryTwitter: FerretingTheFun
I used to pretend I was a mermaid when I was little and swimming around our backyard pool. Had I known this place existed, surely I would be working there 🙂
Heather recently posted…36 Hours in Tokyo
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 11:19h, 25 FebruaryToo cute–wouldn’t that be such an interesting job?! You will have to make a stop if you are ever in the area!
Jenna Kvidt recently posted…Snorkeling at Alligator Reef in the Florida Keys
Marysia
Posted at 04:42h, 25 FebruaryTwitter: mytravelaffairs
I indeed maybe a bit too adult for such kind of entertainment but I admire a hard work of those Girls 🙂
Marysia recently posted…Friday Lens Affair #58
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 11:21h, 25 FebruaryLol, I can see where many might have this view 🙂 But, yes, it must be a pretty hard job!
Jenna Kvidt recently posted…Snorkeling at Alligator Reef in the Florida Keys
Ron
Posted at 14:49h, 25 FebruaryTwitter: actplanettravel
Very cool, I had no idea Weeki Wachee even had this sort of thing. I’ll have to look out for it the next time I pass through; I love these natural springs!
Ron recently posted…The World Peace Pagoda in Pokhara, Nepal
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 15:24h, 25 FebruaryIt’s quite an interesting place! The springs were really pretty–I love how clear the water is!
Jenna Kvidt recently posted…Snorkeling at Alligator Reef in the Florida Keys
Ron
Posted at 22:02h, 27 FebruaryTwitter: actplanettravel
Me too! It makes for great cave diving! 😉
Ron recently posted…Budget Australia: 5 Tips for Seeing the Country on the Cheap
Kadri
Posted at 00:46h, 27 FebruaryTwitter: kadrijarve
Mermaid Theater looks fun place to go, I even don’t know this kind of place exist. Interesting. 🙂
Kadri recently posted…Thai People – They Like to Do Everything for You
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 14:34h, 27 FebruaryIt’s a cute spot! Definitely unique! 🙂
Megan
Posted at 19:03h, 27 FebruaryTwitter: mappingmegan
The little mermaid was my favorite movie growing up as well! This looks AMAZING! Lol I always wanted to grow up to be a mermaid…maybe I should apply for a job :D!
Megan recently posted…The Most Amazing Natural Wonders Of The United States
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 00:42h, 02 MarchLol, I think you should! I can see it now–Megan the Mermaid!! 🙂
Beth
Posted at 19:45h, 27 FebruaryTwitter: besudesuabroad
I’ve never heard of this before, but it looks like fun– in a cheesy way!
Beth recently posted…Malaysia is for Foodies!
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 00:44h, 02 MarchExactly–cheesy but fun! 🙂
Bret
Posted at 21:20h, 01 MarchTwitter: GreenGlobalTrvl
I know it’s kitschy, but I’ve wanted to visit this place for years. I’ve read a few great stories about this place, and its history is just as fascinating as the fact that it’s still around today. I’d love to interview one of the Mermaids: Bet they’ve got some good stories to share!
Bret recently posted…Are Backpackers Destroying the World? Q&A With Gringo Trails Director Pegi Vail
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 01:03h, 02 MarchThat really would be interesting to interview some of the mermaids–they probably would have some great stories. Would love to hear them!
Sally
Posted at 09:45h, 03 FebruaryTwitter: islandgalsalgmail.com
I took my daughter there years ago & she belived they were real mermaids-it was adorable (she knows better now!) Nice places to swim on the road to the right of the park ( goes to Pine Island). As for cheesy attractions -try Gatorland in Orlando -the entrance is through a huge gator head.14 foot plus monster gators, gator wrestling & gators jumping for raw chicken-definite must on the bucket list 😉
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 23:05h, 03 FebruaryToo cute! I would have loved visiting when I was a kid–what a fun trip! Will have to check out Gatorland next time. Thanks for the idea!
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