FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Chuck's Big Adventure is traveling to Florida. His adventure will take him to some amazing beaches, beautiful homes, mermaid encounters and the fountain of youth.
Magical mermaid show
As a boy, I vividly recall watching the Weeki Wachee performances on Saturday morning television. From daredevil water skiing to the precision mermaid shows, the Weeki Wachee experience still live on, and the facility is now a state park.
For years though, it seemed that mermaid shows were a thing of the past. The shows stopped being on television, people went on to other things in Florida, like amusement parks. That has changed.
Our Chuck's Big Adventure team spent a few days at the beautiful B Ocean Resort in Fort Lauderdale. While we enjoyed walking barefoot on the beach, the real treat was inside where a revival of the old-time mermaid shows is back in a big way. With shows for all ages and tastes, the Wreck Bar, built alongside the hotel pool, gives guests a porthole peek at the beauty, athleticism and precision choreography of expert swimmers and divers performing as mermaids.
How do you find someone to be a mermaid or Aquaman? You find someone with a swimming and diving background who can handle the underwater dance with incredible breath control.
Mermaids at Wreck Bar
I recommend the Sunday brunch. It is a show the whole family can attend, and while a DJ plays music for the mermaids to perform to, children can gather at the portholes, marvel at the wonder of the choreography and get their picture taken.
One of the swimmers we chatted with is in her early 50s, though the physical demands keep her looking like she is in her 30s. The mermaids agree they don't think about how long they have to hold their breath while underwater. They just go to the surface when they need to.
The shows here are popular and often sell out, and that has been a joy to the hotel operators who initially started shows at the hotel in the 1950s. You can see pictures of those early shows on the walls around the hotel.
By the way, Weeki Wachee Springs State Park shows are open to the public and are pretty affordable, with adult tickets priced at $13.
For more information on the B Ocean's shows, click here.