February 01, 2024: The Sponge Dock of Tarpon Springs

DID YOU KNOW? In Florida, there is a small but busy Greek town with the distinction of being the sponge capital of the world. Ever since sponge beds were discovered outside of Tarpon Springs in the early 1900s, this town has been home to generations of Greek divers who left their motherland to harvest and sell these sponges. Natural sponges are anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and hypo-allergenic, making them popular for many purposes including beauty treatments, household projects, and more.

While the once-booming industry isn't as active as it once was, we enjoyed getting to see Tarpon Springs and learn about the history of sponge diving. There are many boats still in operation, although harvesting methods and diving technology have obviously changed. We had the opportunity to talk to a Greek diver who grew up in the business. It was intriguing to hear his perspective on life as a diver, and the process of preparing sponges for market.

We also had the opportunity to go out on a sponge diving exhibition tour that demonstrated the old style of diving and harvesting sponges. The boat was a quaint white and orange ship with plenty of seating along both sides. Since it was a bit of a chilly day, the crew also provided blankets for all who wanted one.

We were quite happy to find that the diving exhibition tour was dog-friendly, allowing our fur-babies to go with us!

It was really interesting to watch the young Greek diver suit up in the vintage diving gear and don the iconic metal dive helmet in preparation for actually entering the water. It took the diver plus two more men to prep all the various aspects of the suit.

Mom got the very serious, stoic Greek diver to kinda-sorta smile for her, LOL

The diver went down and we watched from the boat as he searched for a sponge. The helmet sent up a steady stream of bubbles, so it was easy to keep track of where he was.

Once he located a sponge, the diver harvested it with his rake and returned to the boat where we were able to examine the fresh, slimy sponge. The Captain even allowed our curious fur-baby to sniff the sponge, finding it humourous when Lucy tried to take a bite of it the way she does with everything she finds outside, LOL.

I think it would be a bit nerve-wracking to have all that gear on:)

These four graceful dolphins played alongside our boat on our way out of the harbor

All in all, the hour-long boat ride and dive demonstration was really enjoyable and educational, well worth the $10 per person. It's easy to understand why this diving exhibition has stuck around for so long (the second oldest attraction in Florida, passed down through 3 generations).

Because of its Greek heritage, Tarpon Springs is also home to a number of authentic Greek eateries, shops, and more...including an incredible Greek bakery! Not surprisingly, almost every shop we entered was selling locally harvested sponges.

We spent several hours wandering the town, enjoying the nice weather and waterfront busyness. If you are ever in Florida, Tarpon Springs is a wonderful place to spend a few hours exploring and learning.

Until next time, God bless!