The next leg is 144 miles with no place to duck in so we want a good three day window to leave.
Meanwhile we are exploring Tarpon Springs, the Sponge Capital of Florida and once of the world.
In 1905, John Cocoris introduced the technique of sponge diving to
Tarpon Springs. Cocoris recruited Greek sponge divers from the Dodecanese Islands
of Greece,
in particular Kalymnos,Symi and Halki leading,
by the 1930s, to a very productive sponge industry in Tarpon Springs,
generating millions of dollars a year. The 1953 film Beneath the 12-Mile Reef, depicting
sponge diving, takes place and was filmed in Tarpon Springs.[6]
When a red tide algae bloom occurred in 1947, wiping out the
sponge fields in that region of the Gulf of Mexico,
most of the sponge boats and divers switched to fishing and shrimping for
a livelihood. The city then converted most of its sponge-related activities,
especially the warehouses where they were sold, into tourist attractions. The
Sponge Docks are now mostly shops, restaurants, and museums dedicated to the
memory of Tarpon Springs' earlier industry. Most sponges sold on the docks are
now imports; relatively few sponges are harvested from the area, although
attempts have been made in recent years to restart local sponge harvesting. Led
by local businessman George Billiris, in the late 1980s the sponge industry
made a comeback, and in the fall of 2007 a record harvest of sponges by a
single boat was made.
In 2007 and 2008, Tarpon Springs' mayor, Beverley Billiris,
established Sister City relationships with Kalymnos, Halki, Symi, and Cyprus, honoring
the close historical link with these Greek islands.
Tom and I went on one of the tour boats, it was interesting. I have purchased several sponges and really do like washing with the real thing.
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| this boat returned from a 16 day run filled with sponges |
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| around two weeks ago this boat caught fire just after they topped off the fuel tanks. The owner did not have insurance, so right now the salvage/ removal is in limbo |
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| they still dive in hard hat suits for the sponges This is Dave the diver on our boat |
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| what a sponge looks like before it is processed |
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| we have a pair of Osprey that fly around here This one landed on the mast... I don't think it is smiling for the picture |
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| Tom did not appreciate the Osprey sitting on our wind gauge so he shook the mast, made a neat picture |
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| another early morning visitor |
