The family owned Resort and Spa at Warm Mineral Springs caters to the health claims by providing massage therapy, whirlpool mineral baths, saunas and, despite the unpleasant taste, bottled spring water. A lifeguard blows her whistle at guests who venture beyond the ropes that designate the shallow spring banks. Bathers follow an unwritten directional law, most of them walking counterclockwise along the muddy spring bottom, forming an artificial current as they travel. They murmur French, Russian, German and accented English in churchlike tones, keenly aware of the lake's echo. Some ease spouses in wheelchairs into the spring, while on land, sunbathers avoid the shady oaks in favor of blue skies.
Water evaporates off swimsuits tacked onto pine trees, leaving behind a mineral residue.
A female voice distorted by a loudspeaker pierces the tranquil scene, announcing lost items and messages. Lifeguards warn visitors not to attract ants by picnicking around the lake, pointing out secluded picnic tables. In addition to the health facilities, snack bar, bakery and gift shop, the spa features a mural, cyclorama and video presentation depicting the area's considerable historical importance. The oldest human remains found in Florida, about 12,000 years old, were discovered on a Florida State University archaeological diving expedition in the spring's caverns, along with the prehistoric bones of saber-toothed tigers and giant ground sloths. State funding for the project, which required custom-made diving equipment to withstand the corrosive effect of the water on metal, was discontinued two years ago.