There was a time a little over a century ago that Tarpon Springs, Florida, was a flourishing city because of its sponge harvesting industry. In the early 1900’s 80% of the world’s sponge supple came from the warm Gulf of Mexico waters off shore from Tarpon Springs.
Sponge diving is a Greek tradition, and nearly all of the divers and boat operators were Greek immigrants who came to Tarpon Springs seeking work and a new home in America. Today the Greek community is still a major influence on the town.
I first visited Tarpon Springs 40 years ago, when the sponge business was still viable, and dozen’s of boats lined the dock, their masts and rigging reaching skyward. I remember eating at Pappas’ Restaurant and drinking Ouzo (it’s an acquired taste). Today Pappas is gone, as are most of the boats.
Synthetic sponges have all but doomed the natural sponge market, and the sponge harvesting business is a shadow of its boom days a century ago. But sponge tourism still thrives, centered in shops and restaurants along the docks where the few remaining sponge boats tie up.
George Billiris still operates his sponge boat, St. Nicholas VII, but today he hauls tourists, not sponges. His family has been in the sponge business in one way or another for nearly a century. His tours last about an hour and include diver Frank Notte in full diving rig, which weighs 172 pounds. Frank goes over the side with the help of deckhands and usually spends about 15 minutes underwater, often returning with a sponge for tourists to see and feel. The trip costs a bargain $15 for adults.
George worries about the future of his sponge boat tours. “I’m the end of the line”, he says, probably the last in his family to be involved in the sponging business. None of the younger members of the family plan to step up and take over the business. “It’s hard to convince them”, he says, “when they might only make $20-$30,000 a year” with the boat.
The St.Nicholas Boat Line has been a family business since 1924.
There are still a few working sponge diving boats at the docks on Dodecanese Boulevard. But mostly the Sponge Docks today are about tourism.
The street is lined with souvenir shops and Greek restaurants. The businesses live for the weekends when big crowds bring heavy tourist traffic.
The biggest attraction on the dock is the Spongeorama Sponge Factory. It sells souvenirs and claims to have the largest collection of natural sea sponges in the world. The store has a sponge diving museum, and offers a free movie on sponging history. Spongeorama offers sunset and dolphin watching boat tours of the Anclote River and Gulf of Mexico.
Also on the dock is the Tarpon Sponge Company. It’s another family run business, now in its third generation, selling souvenirs and sponge baskets. It claims to offer the largest selection of “locally harvested” sponges on the dock.
Another family business is the Sponge Diver Supply/Shell Shop. They were once featured on the “Dirty Jobs With Mike Rowe” program on television.
Greek families, now in their third and fourth generation, are still a vibrant influence on life in Tarpon Springs. The community is centered around the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, which is located on Alt. U.S. 19 (Pinellas Avenue). Every year on the Epiphany dozens of teenage boys from the church assemble at Spring Bayou to dive for a white cross thrown into the water by the Archbishop of the church. The boy who retrieves the cross then kneels before the Archbishop for a special blessing. The church claims the 100 year old tradition highlights the largest Epiphany celebration in the Western Hemisphere.
The Orthodox Church has been established in Tarpon Springs since 1907, by the first wave of Greek immigrant sponge divers to immigrate to the town. Eventually they brought their families to America and the church grew and flourished. The church started off as a simple wood frame building, and the current cathedral was completed in 1943.
Visitors to the church are welcome. It is customary to light a candle upon entering the sanctuary, and offer a short prayer. Services are held Sunday morning, Wednesday and Saturday evenings. The Cathedral is normally open for prayer from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Because of COVID, some restrictions apply. It is best for visitors to contact the church in advance for details.
Tarpon Springs sponge diving was the subject of a 1953 movie, “Beyond The 12 Mile Reef”. It told the story of fierce competition between the sponge diving companies. It starred Robert Wagner, Richard Boone and Peter Graves. Much of the movie was shot on location in Tarpon Springs.
How did the town get its name? From the giant Tarpon game fish that were abundant in the Gulf waters nearby. They’re still around today but not in the numbers they used to be. Kinda like the sponge divers.