Mermaid Encounter!

Mermaid Shannon and Mermaid Maggie pose with Danny

"Mermaid", is a word compounded of mere, the old English word for "sea", and maid, a woman.  They are mythological aquatic creatures comprised of a female head and torso and the tail of a fish.  First reported around 1000 BC, mermaids have maintained a broad representation in literature and popular culture.  Folklore claims that mermaids would sometimes sing to humans and enchant them, distracting them from their work.  As if in a hypnotic trance, Sailors would reportedly walk off the decks of their ships and descend to the mermaid's underwater kingdom, never to be seen again.

Filming the Weeki Wachee Mermaids

Danny and I recently had the rare privilege to venture into this mysterious underwater world of enchantment while diving with the world famous Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Mermaids.  Following a shoot on Florida's Lake Okeechobee we traveled over to Weeki Wachee Springs, the City of Live Mermaids.  Performing since 1947 the Weeki Wachee Mermaid show is one of Florida's oldest and most unique attractions.  For over 60 years, beautiful, talented mermaids have been captivating audiences while performing synchronized ballet moves underwater.  And as it was in folklore, the experience most certainly distracted us from our work.

Weeki Wachee Spring is a first-magnitude spring.  Each day 117 million gallons of crystal clear, fresh spring water bubbles up out of subterranean caverns.  The limestone basin of the spring where the mermaids perform is 100 ft. wide and you can actually see completely across it underwater.  The ancient spring is also the home for a variety of wildlife including fish, turtles, manatees and even an occasional alligator.

Kim and Mermaid Shannon

The charming young ladies who perform are much more than a pretty face, they are highly trained underwater swimmers with the ability to breath from a free-flowing pressurized air hose.  Without a tank strapped to their backs, the Mermaids present the illusion of thriving underwater.  As an avid scuba diver, what amazes me even more is how they are able to control their buoyancy with great precision underwater using only breath control and no added weights.

Hook n' Look isn't the only television show that has been allured to this fantasy land, Larry the Cable Guy recently shot a segment with the Mermaids.  Others include wildlife expert Jack Hanna as well as Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie.

Next time you travel to Florida be sure to make time for a nostalgic trip to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.   Tell them Hook n' Look sent you!  You'll see why the Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Mermaids....... have got the world by the tail. 

For more information log onto www.weekiwachee.com .