SPRING HILL, Fla. — A few new faces made their grand appearance on Saturday at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.

What You Need To Know

  • Ten new mermaid statues were unveiled Saturday on the Mermaid Tale Trail at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park

  • Each mermaid tells a different story, showing diverse artistic styles and themes created by different local artists
  • The new statues will be joining the existing trail at the park and, from there, be distributed in different areas throughout Hernando County

Ten new mermaid statues were unveiled on the Mermaid Tale Trail. It’s in a collaborative effort, spearheaded by the Florida’s Adventure Coast Visitors Bureau, Brooksville Main Street and the Hernando County Fine Arts Council.

Each mermaid tells a different story, showing diverse artistic styles and themes. All ten were each created by a different local artist, reflecting the beauty of Florida’s Adventure Coast.

“I kind of wanted her to represent the health and beauty of the springs and kind of show what it’s supposed to look like,” said artist Dana Donkle. “Springs are, obviously, suffering a little bit right now so I also wanted to incorporate a sign on the back that says, ‘Save Our Springs Now’ and little ways that people can change in their daily lives to help out the springs.”

The new statues will be joining the existing trail at the park. From there, they will then be distributed in different areas throughout Hernando County. Donkle's artwork can be found on Instagram.