Having lived most of my adult life in Tarpon Springs, Florida, I have taken the availability of natural sea sponges for granted. They are everywhere here – in the gift shops on the Sponge Docks, in the shops in our downtown, and even in the local CVS. Even before our family made Tarpon Springs our home, we would purchase the natural sea sponges on every trip here, bringing them back for our ourselves, friends and family.

Why are the best sponges from Tarpon Springs? It’s the sponge capital of the United States. Greek immigrants, many of them sponge divers trained from childhood, adopted this Gulf of Mexico community as their new home. They brought their special harvesting equipment and their skills with them when they came to the US. The traditional sponge divers in Greece used a two or three pronged hook and a mesh-like bag made of string to harvest the sponges. Amazingly, the earliest divers didn’t use any special breathing equipment, but it was a tough profession with many men losing their lives to either the seas or what we now call ‘the bends’. Today, sponge divers in the US use wet suits and oxygen tanks to gather the sponges, and they have the proper breathing equipment.

Sponges are a gift from the sea that replenish themselves as they are harvested. To keep the sponges regenerating, the divers carefully cut the sponges from the sea bed, leaving about an inch of sponge in place for regrowth. Spores are released allowing new sponges to repopulate the area so that the sea sponges continue to grow and flourish.

Many natural sea sponges like the wool sponge are prized for their absorbency and ability to gently cleanse you while they gently remove dead skin cells. If properly cared for, natural sea sponges used for bathing will last for years. Treat yourself to an all-natural sponge from the historic Sponge Docks of Tarpon Springs.