With the latest Marvel Universe movie rollout and the popularity of fantastical television shows like Once Upon a Time and Constantine, it seems like everyone enjoys a bit of fantasy in their reality. Well if you’re in the New Jersey area, you’ll be able to see a mystical beast in person – mermaids.
The Weeki Wachee mermaids are a mainstay at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in Florida but have become more well-known through their Youtube page featuring the colorful mermaids and their performances. The mermaid path is a hard one – potential mermaids have to go through auditions, camps and tests before being able to perform and the famous fin is completely skin-tight and often takes 10 minutes to get on.
The videos show mesmerizing shows that utilize small tubes for air as well as a prop and interaction between the performers and audience. While in New Jersey, the mermaids will also be swimming with some wildlife such as sharks, sea turtles and sting rays before helping host the Mermaid and Pirate Ball to help support the aquarium. A portion of the proceeds will go to support the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Underwater ladies have been a mainstay at Weeki Wachee. When owner Newton Perry first discovered the large freshwater spring, he 1) invented a way of breathing through a tube from a free-flowing air supply 2) built an 18-seat theater below the surface of the spring and 3) found pretty women and taught them to smile and breathe from the hoses at the same time. The man knew how to sell tickets. The women would also drink a non-carbonated beverage, eat bananas and do aquatic ballets underwater. Since then the show has developed into its modern fantasy version and the attraction has become an official city in Hernando County. The city has a population of 12, two public schools (aptly named Winding Waters and Weeki Wachee), and the mayor is a former mermaid!
The Weeki Wachee Mermaids’s trip up to New Jersey will be their first time performing in the Northeast. The mermaids will be performing as well as talking with audience members after the show.
