Old Florida Attractions Galleries

Mermaids of Weeki Wachee : On January 6th, 2008 we went to Weeki Wachee Springs. This small town of nine residents has stood as an icon of Florida's culture since 1947 when Newton A. Perry first developed a method for breathing underwater that would allow performers to move freely without the inhibition of scuba diving equipment. A theatre was built in the limestone on one side of the Weeki Wachee Spring and shows have been performed ever since inspiring generations of little girls to want to be mermaids. We knew the show would be fun but we had no idea just how amazing it would be. The performers are as talented as they are beautiful being able to hold their breath for nearly three minutes and to dive 175 feet into a spring blasting water at the rate of 117 million gallons a day. First we photographed The Little Mermaid Show based on the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. Then we photographed Fish Tails: a salute to the history of Weeki Wachee and demonstrations on just what is required to be a mermaid. Weeki Wachee is a famous part of Florida history that is a must see. I have always enjoyed live performance but seeing choreography under 20 feet of water is breathtaking. Feel free to leave comments on any photo. Plus, we love to hear from people. Email us with any questions, comments, or just to say hello.

Mermaids of Weeki Wachee

On January 6th, 2008 we went to Weeki Wachee Springs. This small town of nine residents has stood as an icon of Florida's culture since 1947 when Newton A. Perry first developed a method for breathing underwater that would allow performers to move freely without the inhibition of scuba diving equipment. A theatre was built in the limeston ...

Updated: Feb 23, 2009 8:14am PST