Visit Real Mermaids at Florida’s Weeki Wachee Springs

I was a little surprised by the results of an Instagram Story poll I conducted recently: most of the respondents indicated they had never heard of Weeki Wachee before. (For the uninitiated, I highly recommend this New York Times article as a starting point).

I remember my grandmother speaking of the mermaids’ magic and beauty, how they swam in the crystal-clear cold waters without needing to emerge for air and my excitement mounting as our visit approached. Michael grew up in the area and recalls visiting the park with his family (though I suspect he was more interested in swimming than watching the mermaid show, but I could be wrong). A chance to revisit the park as adults made it an easy choice for one of our monthly Florida trips, and a few days before our visit we began sifting through the park’s website to plan our day. The website is pretty, but a little clunky and not as straightforward as I’d like. Still, we planned on arriving right before park-opening in case the park reached capacity, and we decided to book either a tandem kayak or two stand-up paddle boards. We wavered too long, I suppose, because the bookings were all full by the time we made our decision. I sent a quick email asking if we could be put on a waiting list, but before we heard back I searched again and more were available (they did in fact email us back and encouraged us to book right away). We easily booked our two SUP boards and filled out the online waivers. We were all set for Saturday.

Our day began very early at Breakfast Station, a small, local train-themed chain found in a strip mall near the park. We were promptly seated, which was good as we were running a little behind schedule. Michael and I made our selections from the Southern diner-style menu; I chose the two-egg meal with smoked sausage, and he opted for the Grand Junction: a chicken and gravy biscuit. Normally I couldn’t look a breakfast this heavy in the eye at 8 a.m., but we needed to fill up before arriving at the park. We ate quickly, paid, and left.

Cars already lined the lot at 8:40 a.m., and there was a growing queue forming out front. We parked and joined the ranks, first in the ticket line and then in the admission line. We were admitted just after 9 a.m. and headed right in.

We immediately headed for the locker rentals, located by the water slides. Online the price for a locker is listed as ~~$5 for a small and $10 for a large~~, but we were informed by the staff that rental prices are $7 for all lockers. I mentioned that the website says otherwise, and she displayed mock surprise and said, “Really? It’s been that way for a year.” (Edit: the website has since been updated)

Once we deposited our belongings, we set out to explore the park before it grew crowded. We wandered for a bit, weaving in and out of mobs of children jumping into the spring water and racing for the slides. We looped through the park, passing the mermaid show theater, and headed for the Wilderness River Cruise and Discovery Point. The park looks much larger on the map below than it is in real life; it only takes a few minutes to cross the park from end to end.

A map for Weeki Wachee park — Source: Weeki Wachee

The first boat of the day launched at 10 a.m., according to the signs posted (we never could figure out why it arrived with a tour already on it). With only one boat running at a time, the time between boats is about 25-30 minutes. We made it in before the crowd reached capacity, and those that remained were roped off to wait their turn. We boarded the boat and took our seats. The tour guide was somewhat witty and funny, and though he’d likely told the same jokes countless times before, he still made them feel fresh. It was nice to sit back and listen to him describe the park’s history and some information about the Weeki Wachee River, which was clearer than photos could possibly show. We also traveled past Boating in Florida’s river launch, where we would be launching our SUP boards in about an hour.

We walked through the small nature trail for a few minutes and then headed back to our locker to change into our swimsuits for our 11 a.m. paddle board reservation. We didn’t realize until we were heading to Boating in Florida that it was located outside of the park. We got our hands stamped and exited the park, walking all the way through the parking lot to the entrance in the back. The staff typically asks you to move your car from the Weeki Wachee lot to the Boating in Florida parking lot, however, our keys were in our locker and we didn’t do so. We had to wait several minutes to check in with the staff at the entrance before being chided for being a few minutes late. We walked down to the boathouse by the river and completed additional waivers, and were told that we would have four hours to complete the paddle or we would face a late fee. The staff gave minimal instructions, mainly explaining that at any fork in the river, we should take a left, and to go outside to collect our life jackets and paddles. We stood outside for a few minutes helplessly watching everyone who happened to also be helplessly watching everyone else. We were finally recommended to head right down to the ramp to get ahead of a large group of kayakers who were about to launch.

The staff member near the water took our form, and we were instructed to meet him down by the water. There were about six people ahead of us who were also paddle boarding, which led to some confusion, but we made it down the ramp. I explained that I’d never done this before and asked if he had any advice. He suggested staying on my knees for a while, and that I could stand up if I wanted to, which wasn’t super helpful. With this tiny nugget of information, I climbed on the board with my paddle, kneeled while he steadied it, and was pushed out into the river.

As soon as I was in the water and trying to find my balance, a group of very drunk kayakers launched into the river – and very nearly launched into me. I’m not one to judge this behavior (though I wouldn’t recommend it – it’s easy to get dehydrated in the sun and there’s not much in the way of medical help if needed), but I did do my best to ask nicely yet sternly if they would please paddle elsewhere, and not into my paddle board.

We paddled further into the river and away from the large groups, and I finally stood up on my board while Michael shouted tips to me. Once up, I kept my feet firmly planted and tried not to move much to avoid falling into the cold water below. For the first three miles, we mostly let the river carry us with the current, paddling lazily unless we were turning. The number of paddlers eased up as we went, yet we were rarely alone on any stretch of the river. On the day we visited, we were vastly outnumbered by kayakers the whole time, only seeing a handful of SUP boards. The river is meant to be teeming with wildlife, yet we only saw fish, a snake, and a raccoon. I suspect this is because of how busy the river was; I bet a weekday would yield more exciting sightings (like otters and manatees). Still, it was lovely just paddling on, waving to other folks traveling down the river, or stopping to swim.

With a mile and a half to go, we asked a nearby paddler for the time and realized we’d need to hustle to make it back for the 2 p.m. mermaid show. The last portion of the river was brutal – we could no longer feel the river’s current and were on our own paddling in the growing heat. The mosquitos came out in full force (don’t forget your bug spray, kids!) and bit us until we were bleeding. I managed to stay afloat while smacking them away, but they took Michael down into the darkening river below. He notes that it is a bit difficult to climb back on your board from the water.

Once the river forked, we took a left and headed for Roger’s Park, where we exited our SUP boards and rode in the shuttle van back to the state park. Back at Weeki Wachee, I dropped our belongings off at the locker and grabbed two cold beers from the bar (we deserved it!) while Michael held a spot in line for us at the Mermaid Theatre. We joined back up and entered the theatre, making a beeline for the front row. The theatre wasn’t very large, and it did seem to fill up with people of all ages. We didn’t really know what to expect – a Jimmy Buffet video began to play on a screen we couldn’t easily see – and then the curtains opened. A mermaid swam the length of the tank waving at all of us, and all of a sudden the music began and the other mermaids started lip-synching along, dancing in the spring water. They remain in the water for most of the show and breathe through tubes located at several places in the spring (“mermaid hookahs” is how the folks behind me described them). I have to give them credit – the water is cold and they have to be pretty active throughout the whole show. I’m not sure I could do it!

The story is supposed to be based on the Hans Christian Anderson story The Little Mermaid, though it follows the plot of the Disney version much more closely, down to an eerily similar musical score.

With a happy ending achieved, the crowd burst into applause and then quickly exited the theatre. Guests were encouraged to take a photo with a “real, live mermaid” and after sharing an ice cream cone from the concession, of course I had to.

Michael was not as excited about taking a photo with the “real, live mermaid” but he acquiesced to taking one with the statues outside (which were even more scantily-clad, I should mention). And with that, we headed home, filled with both laughter and exhaustion, yet ready for another visit to Florida’s natural features.

NOTES ON TODAY’S POST

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Did you notice a difference in the photos we posted today? We didn’t want to risk bringing our DSLR, so we stuck to our phones, a waterproof digital camera, and an old disposable camera we had lying around the house, because, why not? I actually really like the way the disposable camera’s photos turned out; they look like photos from a different age, kind of like Weeki Wachee. Here are a few more from the roll:

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Outfit Details

Most of the day I was in this outfit: Everlane tee, Theory joggers, old sunglasses, and flip-flops. Eventually, I changed into a one-piece swimsuit and a thrifted cover-up, and by the end of the day switched back into my joggers and added a clean black t-shirt. I didn’t want to wear anything I would be terribly sad to lose (like my Ray-Bans; my last pair is somewhere in the Rainbow River) and didn’t feel the need to “dress” for the occasion.

TRAVEL TIPS: WEEKI WACHEE

Weeki Wachee is located about an hour north of the airports in Tampa (TPA) and St. Petersburg (PIE) and is just under two hours away from the Orlando International Airport, and would make a great day trip from any of those cities. The park entrance fee is $13, and you must arrive early on weekends or during the summer to avoid the park hitting capacity. Bring a swimsuit, sunscreen, and a towel if the cool spring water doesn’t bother you – it stays 74°F all year long. You may also want to bring an underwater camera (digital or disposable), with a floating wrist strap in case it gets dropped. There are several water-sport companies in the area, we booked our stand-up paddle boards for $35 each through Boating in Florida for ease of access, but you can also float in a small “lazy river” in tubes rented within the park for a small fee. Most importantly, you’ll want to arrive early for the mermaid show – it’s why you’re there, after all!

Looking for more? You may enjoy these other Florida guides:

Had you heard of Weeki Wachee before today?