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View Full Version : Hi Merfollk, I didn't introduce myself & posted elsewhere first...so plunge right in!



MerMarla
10-20-2012, 02:16 AM
Greetings Merfolk, I'm so glad to meet you all! This should be lots of fun!

My name is Marla, I've been Mermaid Marla for over 40 years. I found the MerNetwork after my return from the 65th Mermaid reunion at Weeki Wachee Springs, in July, now a state park in Florida. Eric, Mertailor, is a friend of mine who suggested I look you up. So here I am!

I was fearless of the water as a child, and tried to swim long before I could walk, to my Mom's chagrin. She put me in lessons as soon as they would let me, I think about age 6. From there I swam constantly, competitive, then eventually joining the synchronized swim team at our high school. I swam synchro, for 2 years (1967-68), and moved to Florida in 1969, where I tried out at Weeki Wachee, and was hired. I spent my senior year swimming at the Springs, learning each part in the show, and also suit and tail making (we had only 2-way stretch heavy weight gold or silver, or sequined fabric tails) ; back then we weren't allowed to show our rib cage, it was thought to be unsightly... things have changed!

Along with choreography, all the mermaids, and trainees learned ballet, worked with staff photographers both on land, and underwater photos (remember there were no digital cameras back then, you had to get the shot in the first or two takes), stage makeup, announcing shows, running the control booth (air bubble curtain, lifts, music....) and swimming, 3 one-hour shows a day (sometimes 4). We swam in the crystal clear 72 degree head waters of the Spring, a 1st degree outflow. Because we were owned by Paramount Studios, we could use any of the licensed musicals, or movies to create our shows. We all, at the time, were part of the Stage Actors Guild, and had cards, thru Paramount. We had wonderful sponsors, Catalina swim suits, Breck hair products, Voit fins for our tails, and on and on. We studied under wonderful choreographers, learned ballet, free diving techniques, and eventually certified as SCUBA divers.

I spent late afternoons and evenings, all weekends and holidays swimming there during high school, and once graduated, I swam all most two more years longer. I loved performing for audiences; besides underwater musical routines, we demonstrated eating bananas, talking on an underwater microphone, drinking cola, demonstrated how buoyancy worked, and fed the fish! Once in a while while performing an occasional manatee or gar fish would come up river to steal the show! LOL! Mostly all our swimming was done at about 15 feet deep. We used compressed air on specially designed hoses for our routines, dropping them, holding our breath, for many parts of the routines, and of course for the deep dive. We swam, in a tail, down the outflow, to about 80 of the 120 feet (current got to strong to go any deeper) and hung on to rocks as our air hose was pulled away (part of the show). We held our breath for a few minutes, then rose on the current to perform mermaid crawl, back dolphins (no bent knees), layout and vertical spirals before our spotter returned the air hose to us. It was an awesome time to be a Mermaid, because back then it was just us. There were no other professional Mermaids swimming in a live Spring in the World.

I'm now a retired mermaid, I still swim (its in my blood and in my soul) when I can. We now have a new ranch and home we are building on the beautiful Nissitissit River. We have 1400 feet of frontage. Our Ranch is named Winding Waters Ranch, taken from the English translation of the Seminole Indian name Weeki Wachee, which means Winding Waters. Someday when we are settled there, I will swim the river in my tail. The water shouldn't be any colder than the Springs! It's the 10th cleanest river in the North East (New England)! Just not as clear as Weeki Wachee Springs, but you CAN see the bottom from the bridge! And the little fishes!

Thank you for letting me into your waters,
Bubble-hearts!
Mermaid Marla (the original) :)

Blondie
10-20-2012, 02:59 AM
Welcome!! It's awesome to have Weeki mermaid here!! So exciting :D And that picture of you is just flawless. I LOVE it!:jawdrop:

Aquatarian
10-20-2012, 03:05 AM
Amazing story. So glad to have someone with so much mermaid experience here. It's an honor to have you with us.

spottedcatfish
10-20-2012, 03:25 AM
What an honor to have you here. Welcome Mermaid Marla!

Mermaid Kassandra
10-20-2012, 04:46 AM
WOW!!!! I have no words to say how much I'm happy to have you here :D

Just A WARM WELCOME!!!!!! :)

Ashe
10-20-2012, 10:50 AM
You're from Weeki? *faints* haha! So nice to have you here! You girls are my IDOL!!!! :D

Koral
10-20-2012, 11:06 AM
I might as well drop my bubbly welcome here too! Hello again Miss Marla! We're going to probably fawn all over you. :)

Mermaid Lei Loni
10-20-2012, 01:12 PM
I might as well drop my bubbly welcome here too! Hello again Miss Marla! We're going to probably fawn all over you. :)

I second my mersister on that one! It's an absolute honor to meet you! Your story is wonderful, and I'm so glad you shared it! Thank you! :)

Sea Pearl
10-20-2012, 01:53 PM
Welcome Mermaid Marla. It's so nice to have a Weeki Wachee mermaid join the forum :) Thank you for sharing your story with us.

MerMarla
10-20-2012, 11:44 PM
Thank you everyone for such a warm welcome! I am very excited to be here! I've come to learn from all of you, too! Designs, fabrics and media (aka silicone tails! WOW!) have changed and I love it! I'm still "old school" about using fins in my tails, instead of the newer monofin! I have to try one some time! They look really fun! And the new tops are hot! Love the embellishments using starfish and seashells! Sure beats our plain old gold lamé full bathing suit under our show tails! Netting, cord, seashells, and jewels, what wonderful ideas for tops! What mermaid doesn't love bling!

Since we are in the process of moving, as I come across photos of Weeki Wachee Springs (or your's truely), I will post them. Some are still on old 35mm slide film! I have to get to them and get them scanned for posterity! hahaha!

May bubble rings and hearts encompass all our MerFolk, in love and friendship worldwide!
Mermaid Marla (aka MerMarla) :)

Mermaid Celissa
10-21-2012, 12:15 AM
Hi Mermaid Marla! As everyone else has said, it's quite an honor to have you on the site! Welcome to Mernetwork! Hugs!

Mermaid Annariea
10-21-2012, 05:40 PM
welcome :DD

AniaR
10-24-2012, 11:02 PM
Hi Marla, welcome to the forum.
I only just got to see Weeki for the first time this past March. I really enjoyed photographing the mermaids. I think we all can learn a lot from someone with your mer-experience! Welcome to the forum, glad you've joined us

Alveric
10-25-2012, 11:06 AM
Missed you by a year. Went to Weeki Wachee and saw my first mermaids in June of '68, when I was eleven.

This is beyond merely cool.

Mizuko
10-25-2012, 08:47 PM
What an inspiration! Welcome and thank you for sharing your story! :D :D I cant wait to see more photos! <3

Jadestone
10-27-2012, 08:22 PM
Wow! It's so awesome to see a Weeki Wachee mermaid here! You've been a mermaid for longer than I've been alive :jawdrop:

:) Hope you enjoy the forums, I'd love to hear more about your experiences about being a mer. I'm sure you have some GREAT stories, and I do hope you'll show us some of those old pictures :D