WEEKI WACHEE SPRING

spring in Hernando county, west-central Florida, U.S., 55 miles (89 km) north of St. Petersburg. One of the state's most popular attractions, the spring, with a depth of more than 140 feet (43 m), produces a crystal clear water flow of more than 168 million gallons (638 million litres) daily at a temperature of 70-72 F (21-22 C). With the development of underwater breathing techniques consisting of occasional trips by the underwater performers to free-floating air hoses, the spring (once a swimming and boating hole) was engineered and promoted as a showcase for an underwater ballet of "mermaids"-i.e., female underwater swimmers. A large auditorium was built 16 feet (5 m) below the water's surface with thick plate-glass windows for viewing, and the first underwater show was presented in 1947. The spring, whose name derives from the Creek Indian words wekiwa ("spring") and chee ("little"), forms a river which meanders through the Weeki Wachee Swamp for 12 miles (19 km) to the Gulf of Mexico.