Tarpon Springs Sponges

Tarpon Springs, Florida, is known for having the largest population of Greek-Americans of any city in the United States. Many of these Greek Americans are sponge fishermen. We use sponges for many projects. But I bet you didn't know that natural sponges originally come from the sea! In the old days, divers wore heavy diving suits that allowed them to walk on the floor of the ocean. Huge helmets covered their heads. Today sponge divers wear wet suits, weight belts, and regular face masks. They breathe from hoses connected to air machines on the boats above them.