Located on the Gulf Coast in Pinellas County, Tarpon Springs has a population of only about 25,000. While the region was first settled in 1876, it was named Tarpon Springs in 1882 because of the plentitude of jumping tarpons in the bay that were spotted by the settlers. With the arrival of the railroad in 1888 it became a spot for snowbirds to come and frequent in the winter to escape the northern cold. It has the highest percentage of Greek Americans per capita of any city in the US and this is based on some interesting history surrounding sponge diving.
Sponge Diving
In the 1880 and 1890s sponge diving was done through the use of hooking, which would literally pull up the sponge with the coral or rocks where they were attached. In 1905 John Cocoris, introduced a new technique to cultivating the sponges called sponge diving. Here the divers would go down and cut the sponge off its base, leaving about an inch or so of sponge attached to the rock instead of pulling it free. This method would allow the sponge to regrow, and would help to make the process more sustainable.
He recruited experienced divers from all over Greece for this task and the city that was once a small sleepy seasonal town for the wealthy took on a new energy with hundreds and at one point over a thousand Greek sponge divers inhabiting the region. Many of these families settled in the area permanently leading to what is up to this day a very Greek population. This heritage is reflected in the multitude of excellent Greek restaurants along with the many Greek business and street names around the town.
Sponge Facts
Sponges are actually animals that filter the water to obtain their nutrients, they don’t have any tissues or organs like other animals, rather the shape of their bodies adapts to the water flow. Most reproduce releasing sperm cells into the water, which fertilize ova that may be released or retained by the female sponge depending on the species. These larvae then swim away to find a place to settle and grow. Sponges can regenerate from fragments and as the Tarpon Springs divers knew, would grow back from having the majority of their bodies removed.
Sponge Trade
Sponges remain in use by humans for many purposes including bathing and cosmetics but most of the sponges we saw on the docks for sale seemed to be more for the tourist trade.
So with the requisite sponge diving lesson behind us, we learned some sponge facts from a local shopkeeper whose family was involved in the trade for generations before setting off to explore more of the town.
Much of the excitement and the tourist shops and restaurants are in the Historic Sponge Docks’ Area. Literally a tourist street with back-to-back shops selling sponges, t-shirts and souvenirs!
We were dismayed to still see shellacked porcupine fish, starfish and alligator heads in the stores too, just seems so barbaric to have these out on display and to think people would want to collect them! I bet the sponges say the same thing about the racks of sponges on display.
There are all sorts of boat tours that go out from the docks to see sponge divers in action or to go fishing, snorkeling or diving.
The other side of Tarpon Springs
Our friendly shopkeeper also pointed out a few other areas to us and gave us a handy tourist map. There’s definitely more to do here than just visit the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks. We headed of to a lovely park where manatees had been spotted a week ago; it was a completely different look and feel from the sponge docs. Large Victorian style homes with sizable lots and manicured lawns.
We also headed out to Fred Howard Park, located on the Gulf Coast. White sand beaches and calm waters filled with locals and tourists alike on the holiday weekend that we visited. Our luck and timing brought us here just in time for a beautiful sunset.
Choosing a spot for dinner was a difficult task with about a dozen Greek restaurants in the same 2-block area of the Sponge Docks. We were told that Hellas was voted one of the best by our hotel concierge, so we had to check it out. A line of people waiting suggested that this was no secret, but we opted to wait the 30 minutes and it was worthwhile. Finishing off the day with some of our favorite Greek food made for a perfect evening!
We’d recommend for people coming to Tarpon Springs to definitely take the time to explore more than just the touristy sponge docks. The rest of the town and some of the waterfront parks are all beautiful spots to visit and to spend at least a day.
One reply on “Tarpon Springs, Home of the Sponge Divers”
We had a good time reading this article, its really nice. I would have a few suggestions though, but Im not causing a quarrel :p Anyway, keep up the great work, and see you!