Saturday, December 21, 2013

Weeki Wachee, Florida

Weeki Wachee Springs (in Weeki Wachee, Florida) has been the home to famous underwater "mermaid" shows since 1947. Unlike some other classic Florida attractions (Cypress Gardens, for instance), you can still enjoy a visit to Weeki Wachee.

I love this vintage shot of a sign, with a very 1940's-looking bathing beauty featured on top.


The mermaids stay underwater for long periods of time thanks to air provided through hoses. Or gills, in some cases.


Looks like this fetching swimmer is about to enjoy a lovely underwater picnic. Soggy bread comes with the territory. A bottle of orange soda sits nearby… I guess you can get thirsty, even surrounded by thousands of gallons of crystal-clear water.


Another mermaid reaches out to a nearby fishy friend… I love the amused expression on her face.


I hope you have enjoyed your visit to Weeki Wachee Springs!

5 comments:

Chiana_Chat said...

People are the craziest people hehe

Hi Maj, hope your holidays are the merriest! Well, maybe merriest after mine. :^) Love the vintage views of this rather novel attraction. Cuties, too.

Alonzo P Hawk said...

Cute merms, nice clear pics too.

I wonder if air through a rubber garden hose tastes as yummy as San Fernando Valley tap water did?

K. Martinez said...

These images bring back memories of an underwater mermaid show I saw at SeaWorld, San Diego back in the early 1960s.

I agree with Alonzo. These are nice clear pics. Thanks, Major.

Major Pepperidge said...

Chiana, there you are! Merry Christmas to you too.

Alonzo, I guess it's something people get used to... better to have funny tasting air than no air at all!

K. Martinez, I had no idea that Sea World did a mermaid show like this... amazing. Do you remember if they breathed through hoses too, or did they just surface when they needed oxygen?

K. Martinez said...

Now I'm starting to wonder if it was mermaids or just costumed divers. I do know that the show featured human "actors" performing choreographed swimming to music and it was viewed in a seated theater looking at a giant aquarium screen. I could swear it was mermaids. It was so long ago that the memory isn't the strongest.