Tarpon Springs & Sponge Diving

February 10th, 2014

Today we went to Tarpon Springs and specifically to the Sponge Docks.  Tarpon Springs is a Greek community and the docks are very quaint and like a fishing village.  The Sponge industry used to be the   largest revenue maker for the State of Florida until Mickey Mouse arrived.  :)

The first thing we did was go on a short boat trip which explained the sponge diving.  It was a pleasant trip along the river on the St. Nicholas.  The guide was explaining the sponge harvesting to us as we cruised along and the different types of sponges.

Boat Lift

Pelicans waiting for the fishing boats to return so they could have the scraps after the fisherman clean the fish they have caught

They have a good view, maybe they're watching for the fishing boats!! :)

I liked this house on the river, complete with dock and boat.   There was another one  next to it that was for sale, two & a half million dollars.  Not as nice as this one though.

We got to the place where the diver would go overboard. A couple who were kayaking along the river(see pic above) followed the boat, watched and took pictures of the diver as he was diving for a sponge.  I wish I was brave enough to kayak as it is a great way to see some out of the way places and wildlife.  

Diver preparing to go overboard

Diver in the water at the far end of the boat, see the kayakers in the distance

Diver looking for sponges.  He was walking on the bottom

I suddenly realized that perhaps I should take a video, so HERE it is.  You will see him take a couple of steps along the riverbed and then dive for the sponge, and return to the boat.  If you look as he climbs the ladder you can see the sponge in the hook he is holding in his hand.  I'm sure they probably place the sponges out there but don't know for sure!!  They did say that this isn't where the main harvesting of the sponges is done.

We headed back to the dock. 

A lot of the boats didn't look too safe!!!

After we disembarked we walked around the village area.  There were quaint shops and it was very European, predominately Greek.  I loved it, it was so laid back and casual. 

You can see the sponges they have harvested hanging on this boat

Model of a sponge diving boat in a village square with small shops

There was live music.  He was very good.

This is the rear of the model boat, complete with model shark

We sat and had an ice cream while we listened to the guitarist/singer.  The weather was just right.  We then continued our walk around the shops.  I considered buying a sponge, which you could use as a plant holder but didn't see one that was the right shape/size/price for what I wanted. One good thing about living in the motorhome is that you can't just buy everything you like as there isn't room for it.  This is especially helpful when you are on a tight budget!!

We returned to the car and started our trip home.  We stopped at a RV park on the way that was nearby, it was Ok but nothing special.  I would like to return here sometime and explore the historical town but that will have to wait for another visit.