Weeki Wachee Springs
Encyclopedia
Tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
located in Weeki Wachee, Florida
Weeki Wachee, Florida
Weeki Wachee is a city located in Hernando County, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 12. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city continues to have a population of 12. The Weekiwachee Preserve and the Weeki Wachee Springs park...
, where underwater performances by "mermaid
Mermaid
A mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature with a female human head, arms, and torso and the tail of a fish. A male version of a mermaid is known as a "merman" and in general both males and females are known as "merfolk"...
s", women dressed with fins about their legs as well as other fancy outfits, can be viewed in an aquarium-like setting in the spring of the Weeki Wachee River
Weeki Wachee River
The Weeki Wachee River is a river in Hernando County, Florida. It flows westwards from Weeki Wachee to the Gulf of Mexico at the Weeki Wachee estuary. The name is derived from the Seminole: uekiwv /oykéywa, wi:-/ "spring" and -uce /-oci/ "small", signifying either a small spring or an offshoot of...
. A waterpark, Buccaneer Bay, and boat rides are also part of the attraction.
The attraction was created in 1947 by an ex-Navy frogman
Frogman
A frogman is someone who is trained to scuba diving or swim underwater in a military capacity which can include combat. Such personnel are also known by the more formal names of combat diver or combatant diver or combat swimmer....
named Newton Perry, who based the show on underwater air hose breathing techniques. Guests to the park have included Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Don Knotts
Don Knotts
Jesse Donald "Don" Knotts was an American comedic actor best known for his portrayal of Barney Fife on the 1960s television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, a role which earned him five Emmy Awards...
, Esther Williams
Esther Williams
Esther Jane Williams is a retired American competitive swimmer and MGM movie star.Williams set multiple national and regional swimming records in her late teens as part of the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team...
, Arthur Godfrey
Arthur Godfrey
Arthur Morton Godfrey was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer who was sometimes introduced by his nickname, The Old Redhead...
, Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
, and Larry the Cable Guy
Larry the Cable Guy
Daniel Lawrence Whitney , better known by his stage name and character Larry the Cable Guy, is an American comedian, actor, and former radio personality....
. Hollywood has occasionally used the attraction and its mermaids in the filming of movies such as Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid
Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid
Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid is a 1948 fantasy film starring William Powell and Ann Blyth in the title roles. Irene Hervey played Mr. Peabody's wife.- Plot :...
(1948), Neptune's Daughter
Neptune's Daughter (1949 film)
Neptune's Daughter is a 1949 musical romantic comedy film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Esther Williams, Red Skelton, Ricardo Montalbán, Betty Garrett, Keenan Wynn, Xavier Cugat and Mel Blanc...
(1949), and many television shows. At one point, the attraction was owned by broadcast network ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, and this led to an increase in publicity for the attraction. Currently the park is owned by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and is a member of the Florida State Park System.
In 2005, English rock band Supergrass
Supergrass
Supergrass was an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band consisted of brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes , Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey ....
filmed their video for their song "Low C"
Low C (song)
"Low C" is a song from British rock band Supergrass' 2005 album, Road to Rouen. It was released on 24 October 2005 as the second single from the album and peaked at #52 in the UK charts, lasting only the one week in total....
at the Springs. They filmed a short documentary about the spring, as well as playing at a local bar and swimming with the mermaids.
In summer of 2006, stand up comedian Thomas J. Kelly became the park's first male mermaid. His adventures were chronicled in a Web television series
Web series
A web series is a series of episodes released on the Internet or also by mobile or cellular phone, and part of the newly emerging medium called web television. A single instance of a web series program is called an episode .While the popularity of web series is continuing to rise, the concept...
. called "The Little Merman".
In 2007 the park celebrated its 60th Anniversary.
On November 1, 2008, the state of Florida took over Weeki Wachee Springs as a state park.
From May 22 until August 30, 2007, the discharge level at Weeki Wachee spring dropped to a level that allowed for cave divers to gain effective entry into the cave system at the spring. The Karst Underwater Research
Karst Underwater Research
Karst Underwater Research is a 501 not-for-profit organization dedicated to collecting and reporting valuable scientific information from underwater karst environments where scientist are unable to go and providing this information to the public for future generations to better understand and...
team successfully executed exploration dives and the necessary in-water decompression to explore approximately 6,700 feet in multiple passages at an average depth of 265 Feet Fresh Water (ffw) with a maximum depth of 407 ffw. The 407 ffw depth makes the cave system under Weeki Wachee springs the deepest fresh water cave system in the United States.