Former Aquamaid Reminisces On Historic Submarine Theater

By Stacee Collins

Before Aquarena Springs was widely-known as a busy street name, it was one of America’s most prized roadside attractions where the real mermaids of San Marcos swam.

Aquarena Springs Resort served San Marcos from 1950 to 1996 as the only place in the world with a submarine theater.

Aquamaids, an underwater clown, glass bottom boats, a swimming pig and more entertained thousands.

Aquamaids were the highlight of the show, as they dazzled the audience all while submerged underwater.

Kim Riley Whitbeck, former aquamaid, swam at the submarine theater from 1976 to 1982. She started swimming when she was only 19 years old, while attending Southwest Texas State University.

“I grew up in San Marcos, so even as a child some of our elementary school field trips were to go see the underwater show,” Whitbeck said. “They were hiring for summer swimmers, so I gave it a shot.”

Whitbeck held the job throughout college. Managing classes and performances was a challenge, she said.

“They were very flexible with our show times,” Whitbeck said. “You could work morning shows, and have classes in the afternoon.”

The performances lasted around 45 minutes. During Whitbeck’s show times, the aquamaids would perform a synchronized ballet followed by an underwater picnic.

“We had an air hose, but gave it up for about 3 minutes for the ballet sequences—that was hard to get right,” Whitbeck said. “We went back down to do an underwater picnic, which was probably the easiest part to learn, but the most captivating for the audience because we drank and ate underwater.”

Training to be an aquamaid took around six weeks, and included many breathing exercises, Whitbeck said.

“The first thing you’re taught is learning to get your air from an air hose,” Whitbeck said. “You had to learn what was called perfect breath control. You had to stay in range with the audience, so you couldn’t be too high or too low in the water. It really took some practice to learn how to keep your body oxygenated at the perfect amount.”

Whitbeck said her first performance was nerve-wracking, but eventually it became second nature.

“Near the end, I could do a show or be doing ballet thinking about what I’m going to cook for dinner,” Whitbeck said. “It was such a beautiful place to be. Once you got in the water, it was so quiet and it was so magical.”

Whitbeck said the audience members were always in awe of the performances.

“We had underwater speakers that were mounted on the outside of the submarine, so we could actually hear laughter and applause,” Whitbeck said. “If we were close enough, we could actually see the people.”

The show’s theme was Polynesian when Whitbeck joined, but eventually changed to The Lost City of Atlantis.

“We got new costumes and a new script,” Whitbeck said. “We had magic shows underwater added to that, like sawing the girl in half—like you see on stage, only we were doing it underwater.”

Whitbeck said one of the most challenging aspects of performing underwater was the temperature.

“It wasn’t for everybody. Some people didn’t like the temperature of the water, so they didn’t continue with it,” Whitbeck said. “Winter shows were kind of tough. Although the water stays the same temperature, it was more psychological getting in on a cold February day.”

Being a part of the Aquarena Springs show gave Whitbeck the opportunity to meet a variety of people.

“We met so many people, because it was a really tight brotherhood and sisterhood,” Whitbeck said. “We froze together, we had earaches together—we were a really tight-knit group of performers.”

Whitbeck said her favorite part of being an aquamaid was entertaining.

“It was something to be proud of, and I always liked to entertain,” Whitbeck said. “I just like performing. No two shows were the same. Each show was new, and we had a lot of fun. I loved it.”

Whitbeck said being an aquamaid made her value the river more.

“It made me appreciate how beautiful our river is. It’s a gem and we shouldn’t take it for granted,” Whitbeck said. “We need to make sure that we are good stewards to a natural resource. We need to honor it.”

Looking at Aquarena Springs today, Whitbeck feels bittersweet.

“I like that it was a part of San Marcos’ history and went on for so long. It was your all-American roadside attraction,” Whitbeck said. “Then the university bought it out, and that’s progress. I thought they did a good job of transitioning it from what once was. But for those of us who remember it, it’s a really unique part of our history.”

However, Whitbeck said the mermaid returning as the symbol of San Marcos is important.

“I like that the Mermaid Society is talking about respecting the river,” Whitbeck said. “Keeping your trash where it belongs and not turning our river into a liquid garbage can. This attraction wouldn’t have ever happened without that river.” 

This article originally published on the University Star.