It’s finally here– International Mermaid day! I know, you’ve been looking forward to telling the kids they can have mermaid cereal for breakfast, serving siren-shaped cookies at work, and putting more than the usual amount of colorful seaweed in your hair for date night. Well, feel free to unleash your inner water-nymph– it’s time!
Seriously, though, International Mermaid Day? Why?
This article suggests that, because mermaid figures have appeared in literature and mythological stories around the globe, having a day dedicated to them offers us a chance to be creative. That makes sense. However, I’ve always associated mermaids with more athletic pursuits. Why? Two words: Weeki Wachee.
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park west-central Florida has featured underwater mermaid shows since the late 1940s. Although the publicity photos are very pin-up and glamour-like, the women working as mermaids have serious athletic skills. They are strong swimmers and divers, and learn to use hoses underwater to take occasional breaths so they can perform graceful and acrobatic maneuvers for awed guests. Here’s a short Youtube piece on the multi-decade tradition of working as a Weeki Wachee mermaid.
You can also explore an online exhibit of the history and lives of the Women of Weeki Wachee State Park, curated by historian Rebecca Schwandt. I did, and it was so interesting reading about these women. They trained, they performed, they went on strike for better pay and they passed on their knowledge to others.
And they’ll pass on that knowledge to you, too, if you sign up for a Sirens of the Deep Mermaid camp weekend (although all 2024 dates are sold out, sadly). Want to know more? Of course you do. Here’s a video about the camp:
For me, the image of the mermaid reminds me of ways women have always been very athletic in and around the water: swimming, diving, lifeguarding, kayaking, paddle boarding, surfing, synchronized swimming, distance swimming, diving, snorkeling, etc.
And yes, there were (and still are) women performing feats of athletic prowess in coconut shell or sequinned bikini tops and pull-on spandex opalescent fins. Why not? It can be fun, and it’s a job that Central Florida women have valued and made their own for decades. Honestly, there are worse gigs than working as a serious underwater swimming mermaid. Am I right?
So Happy International Mermaid Day to us all!
p.s. I keep flirting with the idea of signing up for Mermaid Camp. Whaddya think?
