Florida city known for mermaids now sleeps with the fishes

WEEKI WACHEE, Fla. – A Florida city known for its mermaid shows now sleeps with the fishes.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation on Tuesday dissolving the city of Weeki Wachee.

The city located about 50 miles north of Tampa was founded in 1966 to help put the Weeki Wachee mermaid attraction at a state park onto maps and road signs, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

But with only 13 residents, the city was insolvent and offered no visible services to a small business community paying its taxes.

The city’s demise will have no real effect on the Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, officials said.

The mermaids at Weeki Wachee State Park have been a staple of Florida tourism since 1947. Women dressed in fishtails perform underwater shows in the springs while viewed by an audience sitting in a theatre on the other side of a glass partition.

The park is currently closed because of coronavirus concerns.