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“I wish I wish I was a fish,” goes the first line of Martin Weber’s famous poem. Those words may well have been running through the minds of about three dozen ladies (and a couple of guys) who responded to a recent casting call for new mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.
The tryouts involved passing a timed, 400-yard swim test in the chilly waters of the spring, performing some underwater ballet moves and a sit-down interview. Of the more than two dozen applicants, “not many” will make the cut, said John Athanason, a marketing specialist with Florida’s Adventure Coast, the Hernando County-based tourism organization. He also worked as the marketing and public relations manager at Weeki Wachee for 20 years.
The tryouts are held somewhat infrequently, he said, as once mermaids are hired, they tend to stick with the job for a while.
“When I first started working at Weeki Wachee, I assumed it would be a high turnover job, but that wasn’t the case at all,” Athanason said, adding that despite the starting pay being minimum wage, “it’s a job like no other, so turnover is not high at all.”
Athanason said many of the mermaids have been college students and most have stayed on the job through their college years, while others stayed longer. Mermaids have to become SCUBA certified, as well as be certified on breathing through the air hoses used in the underwater shows. If can be up to six months before a new mermaid participates in her first show, he said.
“I’ve spent my life in the water,” said auditioning mermaid Karina Mudafort, who lives near Weeki Wachee. “This (mermaiding) is more than a job, it’s magical; it’s spring therapy.”
For Pari Miller, 52, becoming a mermaid has been a longtime dream.
“I grew up in Florida and this has been on my bucket list,” she said.
Tosha Haight already is in the mermaid business. She owns Mermaid Tosha, an entertainment business that provides mermaids for parties, events and the like, so trying out at Weeki Wachee was a “natural,” she said.
Zack Thompson was one of two males who came to the casting call. He has a background in theater and moved to the area a couple of years ago. He thought he’d take a shot at landing a slot on an underwater stage, which, according to Athanason, involves playing the role of the prince in the Little Mermaid-themed shows.
“I have a BA in performing arts and settled here,” Thompson said. “I’ve seen the (Weeki Wachee mermaid) show a few times and think it’s really cool what they do.”
Being a mermaid may seem like fun, Athanason said, but it also is challenging.
“It is not an easy job,” he said. “It also is risky and dangerous; you have to remember the water is cold, 72 degrees, and there’s a 5 mph current coming up out of the spring that they have to deal with.”
That’s why applicants are carefully chosen to ensure they have the physical stamina, breath control and are comfortable working in an environment where their lifeline is an air hose they periodically use to keep their lungs charged with air throughout performances.
Many trying out may have thought they were up to the task, but it was clear from the first phase of testing that swimming the length of four football fields as fast as possible is a sure way to thin a school of wannabe half-fish.
So who will earn their tail?
Athanason said from a group of around 30, four might earn their tail, and when all is said and done, there’s a chance none make the grade. If so, there could be a second round of mermaid tryouts in the near future.
“I wish I wish I was a fish,” goes the first line of Martin Weber’s famous poem. Those words may well have been running through the minds of about three dozen ladies (and a couple of guys) who responded to a recent casting call for new mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.
The tryouts involved passing a timed, 400-yard swim test in the chilly waters of the spring, performing some underwater ballet moves and a sit-down interview. Of the more than two dozen applicants, “not many” will make the cut, said John Athanason, a marketing specialist with Florida’s Adventure Coast, the Hernando County-based tourism organization. He also worked as the marketing and public relations manager at Weeki Wachee for 20 years.
The tryouts are held somewhat infrequently, he said, as once mermaids are hired, they tend to stick with the job for a while.
“When I first started working at Weeki Wachee, I assumed it would be a high turnover job, but that wasn’t the case at all,” Athanason said, adding that despite the starting pay being minimum wage, “it’s a job like no other, so turnover is not high at all.”
Athanason said many of the mermaids have been college students and most have stayed on the job through their college years, while others stayed longer. Mermaids have to become SCUBA certified, as well as be certified on breathing through the air hoses used in the underwater shows. If can be up to six months before a new mermaid participates in her first show, he said.
“I’ve spent my life in the water,” said auditioning mermaid Karina Mudafort, who lives near Weeki Wachee. “This (mermaiding) is more than a job, it’s magical; it’s spring therapy.”
For Pari Miller, 52, becoming a mermaid has been a longtime dream.
“I grew up in Florida and this has been on my bucket list,” she said.
Tosha Haight already is in the mermaid business. She owns Mermaid Tosha, an entertainment business that provides mermaids for parties, events and the like, so trying out at Weeki Wachee was a “natural,” she said.
Zack Thompson was one of two males who came to the casting call. He has a background in theater and moved to the area a couple of years ago. He thought he’d take a shot at landing a slot on an underwater stage, which, according to Athanason, involves playing the role of the prince in the Little Mermaid-themed shows.
“I have a BA in performing arts and settled here,” Thompson said. “I’ve seen the (Weeki Wachee mermaid) show a few times and think it’s really cool what they do.”
Being a mermaid may seem like fun, Athanason said, but it also is challenging.
“It is not an easy job,” he said. “It also is risky and dangerous; you have to remember the water is cold, 72 degrees, and there’s a 5 mph current coming up out of the spring that they have to deal with.”
That’s why applicants are carefully chosen to ensure they have the physical stamina, breath control and are comfortable working in an environment where their lifeline is an air hose they periodically use to keep their lungs charged with air throughout performances.
Many trying out may have thought they were up to the task, but it was clear from the first phase of testing that swimming the length of four football fields as fast as possible is a sure way to thin a school of wannabe half-fish.
So who will earn their tail?
Athanason said from a group of around 30, four might earn their tail, and when all is said and done, there’s a chance none make the grade. If so, there could be a second round of mermaid tryouts in the near future.
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