Care and Feeding of a Mermaid

This film shows a young woman training to perform as a mermaid at Weeki Wachee, a Florida water park founded by Newton Perry (1908–87) after World War II. To differentiate Weeki Wachee from other roadside attractions, Perry trained young women to stay underwater for long periods of time using his own innovative underwater tubing system for breathing. The swimmers performed underwater maneuvers and ballet. Perry advertised the mermaids of Weeki Wachee, which by the 1950s was one of the most popular attractions in the United States.