Swampy's Florida

Newt Perry was an amazing man that had a major effect on Florida through his involvement with Silver Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee Springs, Wakulla Springs, movies in Florida, swimming school and much more.

He was born January 6th, 1908, in Valdosta, Georgia, and not long after his arrival in Ocala as a boy he learned he had swimming abilities that others did not. That had him teaching swimming at 16 years old. He continued teaching, opened a swim school that is still open in Ocala 100 years later.

His swimming was recognized by the Red Cross in the ’20s who used photos they took of Perry at Silver Springs in their training manuals for decades. There’s one of those manuals from the ’50s in the Swampy’s Florida library.

Soon Perry was recognized by the film industry and a series of shorts were made featuring his swimming prowess. Another series, the Tarzan films, took advantage of the crystal clear Silver Springs waters and Perry. Perry was to take, star, Johnny Weismuller’s, and other Tarzan actors, place swimming as Tarzan.  Thus, the drawing above of Perry and Cheetah in the waters of Silver Springs.
He aided and performed for many other films.

Perry developed and invented breathing apparatus to have mermaids romping about for visitors to watch at Weeki Wachee Springs. The aparatus has been used all over and still in use today.

There’s more. One of the best places to read more of Newt Perry is in, the volume, ‘Weeki Wachee: City of Mermaids’.
You can get a copy here: https://amzn.to/48JFGtk

Happy Birthday, Newt Perry!
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