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I went to Florida’s west coast looking for mermaids – here’s what I discovered

Weeki Wachee proudly bills itself as 'The Only City with Live Mermaids' - Patrick Farrell and Peter W. Cross
Weeki Wachee proudly bills itself as 'The Only City with Live Mermaids' - Patrick Farrell and Peter W. Cross

Legs encased in shiny blue Lycra and powered by a monofin, I dipped and dived through the warm spring waters like a dolphin. Here in Florida, I couldn’t help but picture myself as something from The Little Mermaid. Admittedly, at 51 I’m more akin to Ursula the Sea Witch than youthful Ariel, but to quote Sebastian, the film’s crooning crustacean: “We got no troubles, life is the bubbles, under the sea.”

Disney’s new live-action remake of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale will no doubt inspire a new wave of wannabe sirens. But I harbour nostalgia of my own for the genre: a child of the Splash! era, I longed to be Darryl Hannah, falling head over fin in love with Tom Hanks.

The Mermaid Camp at Weeki Wachee Springs, on Florida’s Gulf coast, might be the closest I’ll ever get. Decades before Disney moved in, the mermaids here were the state’s original theme park attraction. Weeki Wachee Springs State Park – which incorporates Buccaneer Bay waterpark and a river cruise – sings with retro Floridian charm, from the candy-hued mermaid theatre and crumbling stone statues to the pirate-themed snack shacks.

The mermaid show at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park takes place 365 days a year
The mermaid show at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park takes place 365 days a year

The mermaid show – which takes place here 365 days a year – celebrated its 75th anniversary last year (although celebrations were pushed in 2023 due to hurricanes), marking three-quarters of a century since the first show in 1947. The idea came from Newton Perry, a former US Navy officer who invented a unique way of breathing underwater using compressed oxygen, inhaled through free-flowing pipes. Newt, as he was known, cleared the spring of rubbish and carved an auditorium out of limestone. The stage was set for his pod of mermaids, who would perform shows in the water, aided by discreet puffs from the oxygen pipes.

Still using the same technique today, the mermaids perform three 45-minute shows a day. One weekend a month, the park hosts the Sirens of the Deep Mermaid Camp, led by the Formers, a group of mermaids who performed between the 1950s and the 1980s.

“I was 17 when I first became a mermaid,” said Vicki Smith, a sprightly 83-year old who ruled the Weeki waves between 1957 and 1962. “Being underwater is so quiet and serene. It’s like heaven for me. Our motto was “once a mermaid, always a mermaid”.”

Vicki and her pod of mermaids – Becky, Cheryl, Bev, Rita and Mirt – giggle away as they show our group of eight novice “guppies” the ropes. I’m relieved to hear we’re not allowed to breathe from the air pipes – it takes weeks of training and a scuba diving qualification – instead, we spend 30 minutes at a time in the water in our tails learning the basic underwater ballet moves, including spins, backward flips and, most importantly, how to smile underwater. It’s basic stuff, but the professionals would perform complicated underwater tricks like eating a banana or drinking a bottle of pop. “Back then I could hold my breath for three and a half minutes,” said Becky.

Weeki Wachee Springs State Park: sings with retro Floridian charm
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park: sings with retro Floridian charm

The natural spring is a constant 23C, and the mermaids share their underwater stage with various sea creatures, including turtles and garfish, with the odd sharp-toothed predator known to make an appearance. “We had a special hand signal if an alligator swam into the spring,” grinned Vicki. A fact I’d rather not know.

My camp is a mix of best friends, mothers and daughters, and single women from all over the country. “My parents came here in 1969 and I’ve always dreamed of coming,” said Tracy, an artist from Gainesville, Florida. “I’m recently divorced, so now I can do whatever I like. And I want to be a mermaid!”

For an authentic taste of Old Florida, Weeki Wachee is pretty hard to beat. Although only a 45-minute drive north of busy, cosmopolitan Tampa, this corner of Florida is all about the whimsy. Aside from frolicking with mermaids, you can swim with manatees (nature’s mermaids) in Crystal River, visit Spongeorama in Tarpon Springs, the sponge diving capital of the world or join the locals scalloping in Kings Bay.

Crystal River weaves its way through the park's vegetation
Crystal River weaves its way through the park's vegetation

I stayed in Neptune’s Grotto (rooms from £71), a kitsch former motel on the banks of a river, which has mermaid-themed rooms. It’s a short drive from Hernando Beach, where there’s a handful of lively bars, including Lazy Lizard (00 1 352-293-3307), which promises pumping reggae and beakers of “fat and juicy” cocktails.

Feeling the pressure of training with the legendary mermaids of Weeki Wachee, I booked myself a pre-camp mermaid lesson in Crystal River, a 30-minute drive north of Weeki Wachee. A charming coastal town fed by the region’s 70 freshwater springs, Crystal River Watersports offers SSI certification in mermaiding (sessions from $55/£44). At Hunter Springs public beach, qualified mermaid instructor Lauren Brady taught me how to swim with a tail, duck, dive and blow mermaid kisses underwater.

Crystal River is also home to The Mertailor, the world’s first tailor for merfolk, which has recently expanded into a full aquarium with daily mermaid shows. Owner Eric Ducharme is celebrating 20 years of making mermaid-inspired attire and proudly cites Lady Gaga and Ru Paul as clients. “When I was a little boy, I fell in love with the mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs. I started making tails and throwing myself in a pool and before I knew it, I was performing at Weeki Wachee Springs and making their tails, ”he said.

Visitors to the park have chance to swim with manatees
Visitors to the park have chance to swim with manatees

But mermaids are far from the only draw here. Manatees flock to the warm springs of Crystal River each winter, earning it the nickname the ‘manatee capital of the world’. Centuries ago, these gentle giants were often mistaken for mermaids by tired seamen. After witnessing a trio of manatees surface off the coast of Haiti in 1493, Christopher Columbus wrote in his journal that “[mermaids] were not as beautiful as they were painted”.

An emblem of Florida, these charming, whiskered sea cows are protected by state and federal law and Crystal River is the only place in Florida where it’s legal to swim with manatees. However, it’s not a free-for-all, and it’s important to choose a sustainable tour, such as Salty Sirens (from $79). After a lunch of alligator mac ‘n’ cheese from the Seafood Seller bar and diner, I headed down for a three-hour boat trip, where Captain Jess explained how to behave in their habitat – watch from a safe distance, adopt the freeze-and-float position and don’t touch. However, once in the water, the inquisitive, friendly beasts had other ideas, brushing up whisker-close to say hello.

Perhaps the Formers’ mantra of “once a mermaid, always a mermaid” still rings true.

How to get there? 

Tracey was a guest of Visit Florida and Discover Crystal River.

Sirens of the Deep Mermaid Camp offers weekend camps from £455 (US$575).

British Airways flies direct from London Gatwick to Tampa, with return fares from £402.

A seven-night fly-drive holiday to the Gulf Coast with British Airways Holidays starts from £624pp, including return flights to Tampa from London Gatwick and car hire.

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