'Mermaid Sisters' Reunite at Weeki Wachee More Than Five Decades After Their First Swim

The mermaids used air hoses attached to oxygen compressors to breathe underwater during their performances. They would often tease each other by filling their costumes with air, causing them to float and struggle to stay near the bottom.

Some cast members lived in small cottages behind the park, and Paul, Greening and Brooks were roommates while working for Weeki Wachee. For some, it was their first time away from home — no parents, no curfews, just a handful of young women learning to navigate adulthood together. While the springs taught them how to swim in sync, the cottages were where they learned how to grow up.​

“We were always going to each other’s places, staying up late and having dinners, so it was just this close community, “ Greening says. ​

“Ruth would cook, and I would wash the dishes, but she was a fabulous cook,” Paul says. “I actually blew the oven up once. I put a can in it, not realizing that it would explode and singe.”​

Performing multiple shows a day was a balancing act, but the trust they built by relying on each other and the magical atmosphere of the springs bound them together like sisters. The bond proved to be stronger than time. Even after they left the springs, they carried pieces of one another with them.​

The former mermaids showed up for one another’s weddings, vacationed together and attended their children’s graduations. However, they stayed in contact primarily through their Weeki Wachee–hosted reunions every few years. So when Weeki Wachee Springs State Park announced the 75th reunion, originally scheduled for 2022, would be postponed due to the damage from Hurricane Ian, the group was devastated. The women had not been notified of a new date since then.​

Wish of a Lifetime from AARP, a charitable affiliate dedicated to granting life-changing wishes to older adults, learned about the women’s story through the Netflix documentary MerPeople, where some of the former Weeki Wachee mermaids voiced their wish to reunite in the water. Recognizing that their mission aligned perfectly with the women’s dream, the organization stepped in, reaching out to make it a reality.​

Brooks gave Wish of a Lifetime from AARP the names of the women she knew would jump at the chance to swim together again in the place where they built bonds and shared lasting memories. When she called McCoy to share the news, she started crying before getting the words out.​

The charitable organization arranged for the five women to participate in Weeki Wachee’s Sirens of the Deep Mermaid Camp, and on the weekend of July 25, their wish became a reality. The women slid back into their tails and into the familiar waters that once made them Florida legends.​

“I’m 17 all over again, and I’m just sliding through the water like I own it,” Brooks says., “It’s just a feeling that you get deep down in your soul, that you know that no matter where you are or what time and space you’re in, it’s never gonna be different when you’re with them because it’s just magic.”​

For Woods, it was her first time swimming in the springs since 1970; for the rest, the most recent time they swam was in 1997. 

“We don’t have the breath control that we had, and we don’t have the bodies that we had, but you know what? I don’t care. I’m having a fabulous time,” Greening says. “I’m back home.”​

There were moments of frustration and stubborn tails that couldn’t stay upright, but they didn’t let it stop them from enjoying being together again. In the water, they joined hands to form a star shape and performed synchronized routines at the surface.​

“It’s like being able to reach back and touch that one fabulous, amazing moment in my life. It’s something I never thought I’d be able to do again, “ Greening says. “It’s just a fabulous blessing to be able to go down there and get in that water one more time.”​

For Brooks, the wish served as a reminder to stop waiting. Last year, when she was diagnosed with a soft tissue sarcoma, there were moments when she doubted she would survive. After beating cancer, she knew she wanted to spend time with the women who had shaped her life.​

“Having these gals in my life has been very important to me. I’ve closed some important doors and walked away, and it’s good to know that you have the support and the friendship of people you’ve known for more than 50 years,” Brooks says.​

Woods is grateful for the opportunity to step back into the place she hadn’t experienced in over 50 years. “I believe Wish of a Lifetime gave me an incredible chance to be here, to meet with friends, family and do this again. I have not been in the lake for over 50 years, so it was just real important to me,” she says.​

The mermaids say that the wish reminded them that it’s never too late to accomplish their dreams. Returning to the space that once defined their youth, they challenged the notion that beauty and grace are bound by any age.​

“You’re never too old to stop dreaming and wishing,” Brooks says. ​​