A Deep Dive Into the Tarpon Springs Sponge Industry

In partnership with: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Rich in history, tradition and charm, Tarpon Springs’ acclaim stems from the sponge industry, dating back to the early 1900s.

An Accidental Discovery

Turtle fishermen from Key West accidentally laid the groundwork when their nets snagged on the sponges. After this discovery, the industry shifted from Key West, Cuba and the Bahamas to Tarpon Springs.

By 1900, the city was the largest sponge exporter in the U.S., with many Greek immigrants coming for the sponging opportunity. Several families of original spongers still live in the area, maintaining the history and Greek traditions.

“You really get a sense of that Greek community and culture when you’re there,” says Mackenzie Comerer, Visit St. Pete/ Clearwater senior media relations manager. “Nearly everybody there that owns businesses of Greek heritage has the history of their family members coming over in the early 1900s to establish the sponging industry.”

The downtown area resembles Greek heritage but with a Victorian flair. It is an entirely different vibe from the sponge docks on Dodecanese Boulevard, only a half-mile away.

“Completely untouched for decades. It is fabulous!” says Jean Hungiville, president/CEO of the Tarpon Springs Chamber of Commerce. “This is what a lot of people come to Tarpon to see, and this is where the sponging industry was originally done.”

Underwater Industry

“It takes years of practice to be a real sponge diver,” says Anastasios “Taso” Karistinos, who moved from Greece to Tarpon Springs in 1972.

Karistinos says being a sponge diver brings you closer to the ocean because spongers immerse themselves in the sea, unlike fishermen who stay on top of the water.

“As a sponge diver, I’m one with the sea,” he says. “When you get into it and you spend so much time underwater, then you see the real beauty of the ocean. You always have the fear. You always have the respect.”

Spongers dive 15 to 60 feet deep, walking along the bottom at a 30- to 35-degree angle to harvest the sponges.

A sponge is a multicell animal, not a plant. Spongers bring the harvest back to the docks where tissue is removed, and the sponge is shaped to sell at the market. The natural sponges in the shops are the skeletal portion.

Several shops in the area create an array of soaps to pair with the sponges. Natural sponges last for three to five years, but only use soap and water – detergent and natural sponges do not mix.

Due to red tides and fewer sponge divers through the generations, the industry has changed, but Karistinos is optimistic for its future.

“Sponge industry is never going to be the way it was,” he says. “But always going to be something over here. Always going to be a few spongers.”

See more: Explore Florida’s Historic Fishing Towns

International Influence

The Greek influence creates a unique atmosphere offering tourists an authentic experience.

The sponge industry brings $2 million to the area. However, Hungiville says the area brings in $20 million in tourism revenue annually due largely to the sponge industry, so it actually contributes $22 million.

Whether coming in for the annual Greek Orthodox Epiphany celebration in January or visiting the sponge docks and downtown, tourists are guaranteed an extraordinary adventure filled with Greek food, history and unforgettable memories.

“It’s like traveling internationally without hopping across the pond,” Comerer says.

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