MYRTLE BEACH – The world famous mermaids of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in Florida, known for their grace and beauty for the past 62 years, will be coming back to Ripley’s Aquarium this summer for 12 shows, July 24-26, 2009. Their performances last summer were critically acclaimed and there was standing room only in front of Ray Bay.
The mermaids will perform each day at 12, 2, 4 and 6 p.m. and will be available to meet and greet guests following each show in the shallows of Friendship Flats. The stage at Ripley’s Aquarium will be Ray Bay, a 15 foot deep, 85,000 gallon saltwater tank, populated with sharks and stingrays.
Special photo opportunities and several interactive programs will be offered in conjunction with the mermaid’s visit, including a Mermaid Splash, where guests will join a mermaid in the water and splash, pet and frolic with the friendly stingrays.
The mermaid shows are free with paid admission to the aquarium. For further information about the interactive programs with the mermaids (which require a reservation) or to reserve a spot, contact Mary Clark at 843-916-0888, extension 3226.
A Brief History of the Weeki Wachee Mermaids
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, also called The City of Live Mermaids is truly an original piece of Florida’s rich heritage and one of the state’s earliest roadside attractions.
The Weeki Wachee Springs underwater theater opened on Oct. 13, 1947. The mermaids performed synchronized ballet moves 20 feet underwater while breathing through special air hoses hidden in the scenery.
In the 1950s, Weeki Wachee, located north of Tampa on Florida’s west coast, was one of the nation’s most popular tourist stops. The attraction received worldwide acclaim and several movies were filmed at the spring.
Weeki Wachee’s heyday began in 1959, when the spring was purchased by the American Broadcasting Co. (ABC) and was heavily promoted. The ABC creative team developed themes for the underwater shows, with elaborate props, lifts, music, and story lines.
In the 1960s, the glamorous mermaids performed eight shows a day to sold out crowds - as many as half a million people a year came to see them. The mermaids were treated like royalty wherever they appeared in Florida and stars of those days, including Elvis, Don Knotts, Esther Williams, and Arthur Godfrey, stopped by to see them perform live.
Today, tiny Weeki Wachee is one of the nation’s smallest cities, with a population of nine, including its mayor, Robyn Anderson, the GM of the attraction, and a former mermaid. It is also a Florida State Park. www.weekiwachee.com.
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