How This Florida Town Became The Sea Sponge Capital Of The World | Big Business | Business Insider

[@aidanacebo9529]

I used to be a sponge diver! the man in the first clip, trimming the sponge, that's Taso. I worked with him, made a good chunk of money for it. I'd know them hairy ass arms anywhere. Taso is a good man, but a man of few words. I sailed with him for almost a year, and he spoke more words in this video than I've ever heard him say while out working. good cook too. all the captains cook for the crew. I also worked on the St. Nicholas VII, the 'tour boat' for sponges. great place. I really miss it.

[@kiloton1920]

Cool! I believe you

[@kiloton1920]

What did you do while working for him?

[@aidanacebo9529]

@@kiloton1920 mostly just beat the sponges. you have to get the skin off, you see. day in, day out. mind the lines and beat the sponges. couple times he had me at the wheel, but only when I was the only one suited. dishes, cleaned the decks. deckhand stuff, greenhorn stuff. sponges, rinse, beat, dry, beat, dry some more, beat. rinse and rebeat. was really menial stuff, but I always responded with a "Yessir" and got it done. made good money, but stank to high heavens. the smell is the killer. making better money than my peers, but if I can't spend it on a date, what's the point? had to shave off all my hair and sunburn most of my skin to peel off, to get the smell out. no amount of scrubbing can wash away the stench. only dove once, but decided that part of the job isn't for me. I'm slightly claustrophobic, and the pressure of the water on me isn't fun. I slept on deck in a hammock, really sucked when we'd go through a squall. the neat thing about 𝘈𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘪 is the ability to rig sail, she's still got her traditional mast and rigging. most trips we'd use that for curing sponges, but sometimes we'd get the canvas from below and set it up. I have a good bit of experience with traditional sailing, those were the times he'd have me at the helm.

[@blessedbeauty2293]

- Good shxt. That is awesome 👌🏽 👏🏽 ❤ Why kill these animals though? Poor Sponge Bob 🧽 😢

[@aidanacebo9529]

@@blessedbeauty2293 why kill a cow for beef? why kill a grouper for it's meat? it's tasty, it's parts have use beyond the obvious. although we don't eat them, sponges are still used in almost every industry for odd reasons, from dampening to damping. people tend to prefer the natural sponge over a synthetic sponge because it's renewable, biodegradable, and if taken care of proper, it will last decades of use. my grandpa used the same natural sponge to clean his old cars for over 30 years, and I just used that sponge to wash my motorcycle about a week ago. the sponge is a filter feeder. it will grow back from the tiniest part left on the bottom, and the government says we have to leave a good chunk (2 inches off the bottom) of the sponge, so we use a knife to cut them off the bottom. technically we aren't killing the sponge at all, think of it like shearing a sheep. Ironic, as one of the most common sponges we harvest are called "wool" sponges.

[@Erik_C_251]

Wife and I spent a week on vacation in Madeira Beach a few years back and traveled one day up to Tarpon Springs to spend the day. It was a wonderful little town with great shopping, awesome authentic Greek cuisine and the friendliest people ever. Definitely need to go back there again one day.

[@MP-uk1lx]

We know they're animals because of Spongebob.

[@jnightshade4379]

Yes we do 😂

[@Raymondapples]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@candyaddict111]

Yes!

[@Itscerisse]

😭🤣 🤣

[@fandroid6491]

@@lisayasminwarren1310 Keep your dirty cryptocurrency away from my squeaky clean Sponge boi 🧽

[@andrew2477]

I've been to Tarpon Springs before, small town but very nice place. I like the shops there. A lot of sea themed stuff. Most of their stuff is the real deal. I think next time I visit I will buy myself a sponge or two for my shower. They also have nice restaurants, I went to this Greek restaurant I had a lamb gyro and grilled squid. You get nice views of the water too.

[@Guerrilla727]

Ha the big blue Greek restaurant? I went there too

[@dukcy7450]

omg same lol!

[@isaiahc8390]

Repent and follow Jesus my friend! Repenting doesn't mean confessing your sins to others, but to stop doing them altogether. Belief in Messiah alone is not enough to get you into heaven - Matthew 7:21-23, John 3:3, John 3:36 (ESV is the best translation for John 3:36). Contemplate how the Roman empire fulfilled the role of the beast from the sea in Revelation 13. Revelation 17 confirms that it is in fact Rome. From this we can conclude that A) Jesus is the Son of God and can predict the future or make it happen, B) The world leaders/nations/governments etc have been conspiring together for the last 3000+ years to accomplish the religion of the Israelites C) History as we know it is fake. You don't really need to speculate though because you can start a relationship with God and have proof. Call on the name of Jesus and pray for Him to intervene in your life. - Revelation 3:20 Revelation 6 1st Seal: White horse = Roman Empire conquering nations under Trajan 98-117 AD & Gospel spreading rapidly. 2nd Seal: Red horse, bloody civil wars with 32 different Emperors, most killed by the sword. 185-284 AD 3rd Seal: Black horse, economic despair from high taxes to pay for wars, farmers stopped growing. 200-250 AD 4th Seal: Pale horse, 1/4th of Romans died from famine, pestilence; at one point 5,000 dying per day. 250-300 AD 5th Seal: Diocletian persecuted Smyrna church era saints for ten years, blood crying out for vengeance. 303-312 AD 6th Seal: Political upheaval in the declining Roman Empire while the leaders battled each other. 313-395 AD Revelation 7 Sealing of 144,000, the saints, before trumpet war judgments, which led to the fall of the Roman Empire. Revelation 8 1st Trumpet: Alaric and the Goths attacked from the north, the path of hail, and set it on fire. 400-410 AD 2nd Trumpet: Genseric and the Vandals attacked the seas and coastlands, the blood of sailors in water. 425-470 AD 3rd Trumpet: Attila and the Huns scourged the Danube, Rhine & Po rivers area, dead bodies made water bitter. 451 AD 4th Trumpet: Odoacer and the Heruli caused the last Western Emperor (sun), Senate (moon) to lose power. 476 AD With the Western Roman Emperor (restrainer of 2 Thes. 2) removed; the son of perdition Popes took power. Revelation 9 Two woe judgments against the central 1/3rd and eastern 1/3rd of the Roman Empire. 612-1453 AD 5th Trumpet: Locust & scorpions point to Arabia, the rise of the Muslim army. Islam hides Gospel from Arabs. 612-762 AD 6th Trumpet: Turks released to attack Constantinople with large cannons (fire, smoke, brimstone). 1062-1453 AD Revelation 10 The little book is the printed Bible, which was needed after the Dark Ages when Scriptures were banned by Popes. Revelation 11 7th Trumpet: Martin Luther measured Roman Church; found that it’s an apostate church, not part of true temple. The two witnesses are the Scriptures and saints who proclaim the pure Gospel and testify against the antichrist Popes. Papal Church pronounced Christendom dead in 1514 AD. Silence for 3.5 years. Then Luther posted his 95 Thesis, which sparked the Protestant Reformation and brought the witnesses back to life. Millions of Catholics were saved. Revelation 12 Satan used the Roman Empire to try to wipe out the early Church, Satan was cast down as the Empire collapsed. Revelation 13 The antichrist beast Popes reigned in power 1,260 years, 538-1798, is the little horn of Daniel 7, son of perdition. The false prophet Jesuit Superior General rose to power from land (earth) of Vatican and has created many deceptions. Revelation 14 Points to great harvest during the Protestant Reformation & wrath on Catholic countries who obey antichrist Pope. Revelation 15 Overcoming saints victorious over the beast. Prelude to 7 vials and judgment on those who support Papal Rome. Revelation 16 1st Vial: The foul sore of atheism was poured out on Catholic France, leaving them with no hope, led to revolution. 2nd Vial: The French Revolution started in 1793, killed 250,000, as France had obeyed the Pope and killed saints. 3rd Vial: The French Revolution spread to rural areas of France, where Protestants had been killed in river areas. 4th Vial: The bloody Napoleonic wars shed the blood of countries who had revered and obeyed the antichrist Pope. 5th Vial: Judgment on the seat of the beast. Papal States invaded in 1798, Pope imprisoned, removed from power. 6th Vial: The Turks vast domain dried up, they were only left with Turkey. They lost control of Palestine in 1917 AD, Israel became a nation again in 1948

[@jansmith3158]

so sick of these videos spewing "Climate change"...what people dont know is our own govt & 36 other governments make their own weather. In the US it's called HAARP program (look up) and our US govt even cloud seeds hurricanes to make them BIGGER. YEP. look up "Project Storm fury" = about hurricane being cloud seeded. look up the video "Dr Fuellmich grand jury day 1" video where Dr Fuellmich and his team expose the lies, manipulation and crimes our govt & world govts have done in the last 2 1/2 years with the push of these evil EXPERIMENTAL 💉 they are pushing and harming millions world wide. look up yt ch The healthy American peggy hall vids "Civil rights Act of 1968 title 7 & 11" and "EEOC file complaint) = Peggy shows you that you have LEGAL rights to say NO to mask, 💉 and testing and still KEEP YOUR JOB. YEP our corrupt govt forgot to share this info with citizens. But, Peggy has free vids on this. See also US Freedom Flyers = more info. pls pass on to everyone!! The truth shall prevail.

[@loanguy6193]

What you are not hearing on these comments is how much courage it takes to do this job. I knew one such person who did this for a living. Ask some of these guys to share their shark stories with you.

[@omaeve]

Are used to go to Tarpon Springs when my son lived in Florida I was a professional Potter and bought mini bags of small sponges and I bought two of the flower pot sponges I just got one out of the basement yesterday I keep that one in my aquarium and I’m setting up a new aquarium for my fish they love the sponge even though they are over 20 years old the flower pot sponges are in good shape

[@Mach19760]

Lived there for 7 years before moving to Indian Rocks beach area. I spent hours down there because I worked at the Marina across from the docks. The Greeks are wonderful people, very caring once you gain there trust. They helped me through some tough times.

[@Mach19760]

@@froggygirl329 I think my Greek wife might have something to say to you about being a troll, I think I will show her. She will get a big laugh 🤣

[@MrEazyE357]

Do you still live on Indian Rocks Beach? I only ask because my uncle lived there up until fairly recently.

[@Mach19760]

@@MrEazyE357 No I left in 2018, but it's one the most laid back places on earth. I miss those sunsets, unfortunately I couldn't get clean in Florida so I had to make a change. But it worked, I'll have 5 years on September 19. Sometimes you have to leave the things you love in order to live your life. I guess that's a little more info than you needed LOL but I'm proud of what I did, and a proud veteran.

[@walterquick8649]

@@Mach19760 Thanks for sharing 24 years sober and yes they are vary great folks the greeks in tarpon Navy VETRAN

[@crabmansteve6844]

@@froggygirl329 you clearly haven't spent a lot of time around Greek people or you would understand what he means. They have a very tight close knit community, stop assuming everything is racist or elitist and just understand the nuance of a conversation.

[@prestonmiller5428]

I’ve lived in the area my whole life, so lucky to grow up in such a wonderful part of the state!

[@codercrisYT]

sounds nice! nice to meet you! from az myself

[@joshuacromley7439]

@Repent and believe in Jesus Christ the LORD? Or Lord? The LORD is Satan The Christos surely is the savior of men, but exists within men. Jesus never said to worship him

[@Fpl8646]

‘Sponges are becoming increasingly rare’. Ya, no shit! You’re raiding them daily.

[@fuckcorporati0ns]

@hitman.radio30 yeah? So what happened in greece city where they depleted whole sponge

[@JcoleMc]

@@fuckcorporati0ns Media hyperbole They depleted all the harvested sponges , not the actual sponge beds

[@mehere8038]

@hitman.radio30 like it or not, they're quoting what the sponge harvester in the video said aren't they! Clearly they are not growing back as fast as they are being harvested are they!

[@Blaze6432]

I live half an hour south of Tarpon Springs and have visited dozens of times in my life. Wonderful little town, you can still hear the older generation speak Greek.

[@Guerrilla727]

How can you afford clearwater/st pete?

[@isaiahc8390]

Repent and follow Jesus my friend! Repenting doesn't mean confessing your sins to others, but to stop doing them altogether. Belief in Messiah alone is not enough to get you into heaven - Matthew 7:21-23, John 3:3, John 3:36 (ESV is the best translation for John 3:36). Contemplate how the Roman empire fulfilled the role of the beast from the sea in Revelation 13. Revelation 17 confirms that it is in fact Rome. From this we can conclude that A) Jesus is the Son of God and can predict the future or make it happen, B) The world leaders/nations/governments etc have been conspiring together for the last 3000+ years to accomplish the religion of the Israelites C) History as we know it is fake. You don't really need to speculate though because you can start a relationship with God and have proof. Call on the name of Jesus and pray for Him to intervene in your life. - Revelation 3:20 Revelation 6 1st Seal: White horse = Roman Empire conquering nations under Trajan 98-117 AD & Gospel spreading rapidly. 2nd Seal: Red horse, bloody civil wars with 32 different Emperors, most killed by the sword. 185-284 AD 3rd Seal: Black horse, economic despair from high taxes to pay for wars, farmers stopped growing. 200-250 AD 4th Seal: Pale horse, 1/4th of Romans died from famine, pestilence; at one point 5,000 dying per day. 250-300 AD 5th Seal: Diocletian persecuted Smyrna church era saints for ten years, blood crying out for vengeance. 303-312 AD 6th Seal: Political upheaval in the declining Roman Empire while the leaders battled each other. 313-395 AD Revelation 7 Sealing of 144,000, the saints, before trumpet war judgments, which led to the fall of the Roman Empire. Revelation 8 1st Trumpet: Alaric and the Goths attacked from the north, the path of hail, and set it on fire. 400-410 AD 2nd Trumpet: Genseric and the Vandals attacked the seas and coastlands, the blood of sailors in water. 425-470 AD 3rd Trumpet: Attila and the Huns scourged the Danube, Rhine & Po rivers area, dead bodies made water bitter. 451 AD 4th Trumpet: Odoacer and the Heruli caused the last Western Emperor (sun), Senate (moon) to lose power. 476 AD With the Western Roman Emperor (restrainer of 2 Thes. 2) removed; the son of perdition Popes took power. Revelation 9 Two woe judgments against the central 1/3rd and eastern 1/3rd of the Roman Empire. 612-1453 AD 5th Trumpet: Locust & scorpions point to Arabia, the rise of the Muslim army. Islam hides Gospel from Arabs. 612-762 AD 6th Trumpet: Turks released to attack Constantinople with large cannons (fire, smoke, brimstone). 1062-1453 AD Revelation 10 The little book is the printed Bible, which was needed after the Dark Ages when Scriptures were banned by Popes. Revelation 11 7th Trumpet: Martin Luther measured Roman Church; found that it’s an apostate church, not part of true temple. The two witnesses are the Scriptures and saints who proclaim the pure Gospel and testify against the antichrist Popes. Papal Church pronounced Christendom dead in 1514 AD. Silence for 3.5 years. Then Luther posted his 95 Thesis, which sparked the Protestant Reformation and brought the witnesses back to life. Millions of Catholics were saved. Revelation 12 Satan used the Roman Empire to try to wipe out the early Church, Satan was cast down as the Empire collapsed. Revelation 13 The antichrist beast Popes reigned in power 1,260 years, 538-1798, is the little horn of Daniel 7, son of perdition. The false prophet Jesuit Superior General rose to power from land (earth) of Vatican and has created many deceptions. Revelation 14 Points to great harvest during the Protestant Reformation & wrath on Catholic countries who obey antichrist Pope. Revelation 15 Overcoming saints victorious over the beast. Prelude to 7 vials and judgment on those who support Papal Rome. Revelation 16 1st Vial: The foul sore of atheism was poured out on Catholic France, leaving them with no hope, led to revolution. 2nd Vial: The French Revolution started in 1793, killed 250,000, as France had obeyed the Pope and killed saints. 3rd Vial: The French Revolution spread to rural areas of France, where Protestants had been killed in river areas. 4th Vial: The bloody Napoleonic wars shed the blood of countries who had revered and obeyed the antichrist Pope. 5th Vial: Judgment on the seat of the beast. Papal States invaded in 1798, Pope imprisoned, removed from power. 6th Vial: The Turks vast domain dried up, they were only left with Turkey. They lost control of Palestine in 1917 AD, Israel became a nation again in 1948

[@AtlasSun777]

@@Guerrilla727 you don’t 🤘

[@Blaze6432]

@@Guerrilla727 I currently rent a 2bd/2ba Townhome in Dunedin (Although I'm a 5 minute walk to the Clearwater boundaries). It's $1600 a month (I live alone but I can afford it relatively easily) but I locked in before all the crazy spikes. When my lease runs out most likely it'll spike to 2k.

[@Guerrilla727]

@@Blaze6432 Yeah its getting crazy down there. I got a condo in 2017 so my mortgage was only 1k. Sold and moved to Tennessee where i got a house twice the size with land for $800.

[@siriusstar99]

I lived in Tarpon Springs for 25 years I love that town , restaurants are fantastic,delicious food!

[@flaviosilva6102]

In Brazil we usually use the loofah (Luffa aegyptiaca), I believe it must have a better efficiency than the sea sponge. It is not uncommon for a person to have this climbing plant in the backyard, it produces a lot and spreads easily.

[@toomanymarys7355]

Loofahs are scratchier!

[@flaviosilva6102]

@@toomanymarys7355 Yes, but just leave it soaking in water for a few days and it becomes more flexible.

[@haseo8244]

Yup this article forgot about that squash.

[@el_lahw__el_khafi]

In Egypt too we also use loofah

[@DeezzzNuts1987]

@@flaviosilva6102 what color panties are you wearing today

[@melfi5920]

I’ve come here once when I was about 10. I thought we were going to the beach (that’s what I was told) but instead we came here and honestly it was way better then any beach. It was beautiful and fun and I had a lot of fun learning about sponges and shopping around I really want to come back one of these days 😊😊

[@vincentzito3933]

I'm lucky enough to live 5 minutes away in Holiday Florida. Tarpon Springs is a great town with a lot more to do than just visit the Sponge docks.

[@pony3284]

Even so, why do anything BUT visit the sponge docks??

[@mommy2libras]

We always went out that way when we visited my father in law. Lunch at the Greek restaurant- always get the saganaki- check out the town for a bit, then drive over to Honeymoon Beach. I've been there at several different times of year and unlike every other Florida beach, including the one a few minutes from my house, Honeymoon was never crowded but still beautiful. And the visitor's center is great- the park rangers will show you all kinds of stuff, including the nesting eagles out over the bay.

[@co7314]

I lived about 25 min south of Tarpon Springs and I loved going there. It is a great place.

[@arsonsnail]

i go here almost every year!!! we don't really call it tarpon springs, just the sponge docks, but it's the coolest!!

[@capricorndragon6268]

When I was a kid, we would have to pick up our mail in Tarpon Springs since Holiday had not yet been named. It was a great place to grow up in the 60s-70s. I've been back since then and a LOT has changed. The sponge docks were interesting when I was young. Now, I am surprised they still have sponges. I'm glad they survived the blight of red tide.

[@divinemissw]

I visited there some years ago and I still have my sponge! Great Greek food

[@Bunnironi]

The way the grandparents care about their grandkids. ❤️

[@ThE4EvRPs3GaMeR]

I was happy to hear that too because so many of the old generation are still on that "work 24hr to the bone to be a real man" type of mentality and that's just not the way life is any more. You can do and make more with less now.

[@tonimorris6512]

I just LOVE Tarpon Springs...I lived in Spring Hill some years ago, and I discovered the cute little Greek town, with the most delicious Greek food, the small Aquarium by the docks, the soap store "Geta Guru" the authentic small shops, the random musicians playing their lovely instruments, and of course the sea sponges 🧽 I still have a couple. I miss Tarpon Springs so much. Great memories🙏🏾

[@proteen545]

Very cool. I'm from Orlando... and once while I was in elementary school my dad took me to tarpon springs and we got my mom a little sponge for her make up and she still uses it to this day. It's a very cool place!!

[@winesap2]

I love Tarpon Springs. Fun little town to visit and I love using the sponges. They smell like the sea no matter where you go, so you can bring the sea with you. I always wondered about the sustainability of the industry.

[@rotorheadv8]

Well, my father took me there via train from St a Pete for my 7th birthday. We went out on a boat and watched a hard hat diver go down and bring up a bag of sponges. That was 1966. So, I guess they manage their harvests just fine.

[@joshuacromley7439]

They slice the sponges off where they grow, leaving a flat "tree trunk" like chunk of sponge that it grows back from. Fully sustainable, so long as we keep our oceans clean

[@pennyonmyshoe]

When I visited this year, you can try to purchase from the harvesters, but they won't because they will lose their contract with whoever pays them to collect the sponges. The shops are expensive, the best place to buy is the open market in the center of town.

[@leepiper4621]

Thanks!!

[@johndoe-zv9ei]

I love Tarpon Springs Fl and the Greek community ❤️ lovely beautiful people ❤️

[@1theqtpie]

I just brought one from you that’s 10 inches when wet and it’s AMAZING!!! Thank you

[@oceanwoods]

Cutting only gives it a 'better chance' of regrowth. If all the conditions are correct without disruption, and it manages to regrow, it will take 3-5 years to have harvestable growth. Harvesting disrupts the ecosystem, the other living organisms that rely on the sponges , and often death to surrounding corals from harvesting practices.

[@chrissypoo69]

Leave them in the ocean.

[@Fabdanc]

I was legit coming to write a very similar comment. The footage of them trudging along the sea floor made me cringe. And perhaps there would be less toxic algal blooms if the sea grass beds, bivalves, sponges, and other filters were all left intact doing their jobs?... There would also be clearer water, more sea life, and stabilization against storms that would all help bolster ecotourism.

[@imchris5000]

well they have been managing the sponge beds for more than a 100 years the real threat is tampa bay releasing massive amounts of sewage into the water causing red tide that kills everything

[@amimiami82]

Yeah if it hurts the animals, these ppl that depend their life on carefully harvesting them should just go neck themselves or let their families starve to death. They are humans and sponges are animals. These people need to take advantage of sponges to make a living. So be it. Stop bitching about sponges when u do nothing anyway to propose an actual solution.

[@Guerrilla727]

All for a sponge that we can easily manufacture

[@cahyapuji7623]

i used to use sponge for shower that made from plants. its called "oyong or gambas". actually it works good. but the plants also has delicious taste. so people prefer to eat it earlier than waited old enough to be a sponge.

[@4747-u2r]

I spent my youth sitting in the docs there , 90s and early 2ks listening to music and being young i thank god for this loved seeing my grandpa and hanging out with and taking the sponge doc tours it’s beautiful times

[@Kolious_Thrace]

This town is like a small Hellas in the States!🇬🇷💙 We have many people that harvest sponges here too. There are some islands that they are famous for their quality natural sponges! Anastàsios > Tàsos means resurrection in Hellenic btw 2:31 The boat is named Evdokía (female name🇬🇷) Sailors here used to name their boats and ships with female names, usually their wife’s name or their daughter’s name. More commonly their wife’s name to remember the family they left behind! Ευδοκία / Evdokía means propitiousness, Grace.

[@xXxSkyViperxXx]

they want to ride their wife wherever they go

[@npeace312]

There is a bakery in Tarpon Springs called Hellas and they make my favorite baklava

[@Kolious_Thrace]

@@npeace312 that’s nice! Ohhh… now I want some 🤤

[@beckyplinke5446]

We have climate changes and cycles proven from the beginning of time. It’s not a crisis. It’s natural. This man is a self made man. Young people should note his hard work has always sustained him. Good man.

[@kristensorensen2219]

Informative story! I prefer a wash cloth because it is washable and is from a farmed product like cotton. Never used any but artificial kind. These are a fickle kind of industry but at least they are learning to cut them not pull them out of the bottom. There was a documentary about oyster and South Sea pearls being farmed. Great!!

[@floridakid7975]

Wash cloths are dead skin and dirt traps 🤮

[@sasfiremaiden840]

I prefer a wash cloth as well. It gets all the nook an crannies. I also, saw the documentary on pearls...it was super interesting!!!

[@perunproductions9126]

As a Floridian, I visit this city a lot of times it is extremely beautiful ❤️

[@redwoodtrail]

There’s a Greek restaurant on the sponge docks that is amazing! The food is so delicious. The shops are touristy but a fun day. There was a little family owned aquarium as well. My husbands family lives in palm harbor so we always visit when we visit our family. Interesting little segment about a place I’ve been. Thanks for sharing!

[@christianbalos8609]

Theres like 10…

[@chrisyanover1777]

Since my wife introduced me to natural sponges from artificial ones, I can never go back to artificial sponges. It is by far better to use a natural sponge in the shower than anything that can synthetically be made!

[@TotterHops]

I lived in Tarpon Springs for awhile, very Greek town with amazing food. Definitely worth checking out the Sponge Docks. It's a just a short drive from Clearwater.

[@martintuskevicius8084]

Shoutout to all of the commenters here who apparently know way more about how sustainable this practice is than the Greeks who have been doing this for centuries 👍 You guys are always the experts

[@damnman7226]

Centuries look at the amount harvested now compared to the past, man you are dull ass hell

[@flutterbree]

I do think we've learned more about sustainable harvesting recently than a century ago, but the youtube comments are the last place I take someone seriously, lol

[@theotheleo6830]

If you think they practiced sustainability for centuries, then explain why they had to travel thousands of miles to harvest sponges here instead of staying in Greece. Also, explain why the govt had to step in and regulate the industry by requiring that the sponges be cut so that they can regrow, instead of harvesting the entire animal, as they have done for centuries.

[@janleslie7163]

They think their experts .I totally agree with you Martin 👍

[@mehere8038]

Curious don't you think that the vast majority of the sponges don't come from Greece anymore then? Why is that? Maybe because Greece has better environmental & sustainability regulations than the US, so limits harvests to sustainable levels, while the US does not? It's just over 100 years they've been harvesting in this location & they've gone from the ground being literally covered in them to having to walk miles looking for the same number they previously found in a 2 square metre area. Don't need to be an expert to understand that means the industry is NOT sustainable & they are taking FAR more than are growing

[@spacecowboy07723]

Just learnt sea sponges exist. I always thought spongebob was a made up character but it's a real animal 😂

[@ItachiUchiha-br8ig]

My mind auto dubbed SpongeBob's laughter over each scene 🧽

[@ItachiUchiha-br8ig]

But really they shouldn't wonder why the water is so dirty in the Gulf since they are actively removing the filtration systems.

[@yousseph777]

I went to high school around there. I saw the sponges, but I didn't know -70% of sponges? Cool, informative

[@elenamilitopingitore5044]

thoroughly enjoyed this

[@ahjort100]

I love Tarpon Springs! Gorgeous town!

[@tylerm0089]

amazing. It's surprising they're able to harvest so many from looking at how many have been collected from the area there already. like they said the sponge is an animal so it doesn't grow as quick as plants. It's interesting that the sponge is like sand paper bc its made up of a calcium hard like material. I haven't seen many for sale out in the suburbs I thought it's become illegal bc they're so close to living corals, but im glad there's a way people can make money and allow not destroy the entire sponge population.

[@hnfiiinc5993]

Such a master. Time-tested and successful in his skills.

[@aidanacebo9529]

you gotta meet the guy. he's something else. the term "old salt" doesn't even fit him. Taso is a man of few words, and very wary of people. after all, a master doesn't reveal his secrets so easily. I know the guy, I can't believe he spoke so much on camera.

[@hnfiiinc5993]

@@aidanacebo9529 definitely will 👍🏻

[@aidanacebo9529]

@@hnfiiinc5993 if you're local, he's normally working dockside if he's there. his family owns the sponge emporium next to the dock.

[@Mariocat99]

That explains why spongebob and his parents are the only existing sponges in the bikini bottom

[@xXxSkyViperxXx]

he hides under a pineapple under the sea nobody would think to look under that

[@wunkskorks2623]

As I sit here watching this, we haven’t had a single tropical storm this year.

[@bobbylee7801]

5 minutes of sponges and 5 minutes of climate change. 1 electric vehicle commercial and 1 WOKE ideology commercial.

[@toomanymarys7355]

That's because they aren't actually more common. Lol.

[@juliejohnson9740]

Been to Tarpon Springs. Love the Greek history there. Great foods, olive oil soaps, sea sponges 🧽

[@ifergot]

Perhaps it would be better for them to create a sponge farm. They are resilient and regenerate well right? Seems like a perfect product to keep growing. Creating a farm might help the surrounding area regrow as well.

[@aidanacebo9529]

they are filter feeders, not plants. they require the environment they live in naturally, because they eat the waste products of that environment.

[@mehere8038]

@@aidanacebo9529 do they though? I don't know, but I know a lot of fish farms have extensive waste, I wonder if adding these into those farms could be a good solution to that, while giving the sponges everything they need too? There's certainly prawn farms out there also growing seaweeds for food, using the waste from the prawns to do so, the reason for the seaweed being to meet environmental standards, but the way they do that gives them additional profits in the process

[@aidanacebo9529]

@@mehere8038 I'm not certain. I'm sure something along those lines could be done, but farming the sponge it's self, I'm not sure there's a big enough market for them as it is. I mean, most of the money stems from tourism where they are, then comes export.

[@alexioiancu]

@@mehere8038 sea sponges are tough but they can only handle the amount of waste that a coral reef can produce but a fish farm produces insane amounts of waste that I do not think a whole sea bed of them could actually keep up with the bacteria and disease being created from all the fish poop. Also they naturally grow so you would need to dig a shit ton of em up and replace them which could kill them alone

[@brendatenorio5721]

Or just take better care of environment. Farms have serious biological n environmental problems of their own.

[@tinachen9728]

Those sponges are made to use for pottery making because of how expensive the natural sponge so that is why people make fake sponge because it is easy to produce and cheaper to buy but it’s not eco friendly though.

[@haileysmith4386]

Oh I love this town! I went a year ago and it was the cutest little town ever. I went to a restaurant and ate the best veggie hummus sandwich that was amazing. It was so unbelievably fresh and so flavorful it made my mouth water. That sandwich will forever be in my memories and I can't wait to go back! Everything about this town is authentic and the people are super friendly too.

[@Lucky_Male_Bee]

My cousin & I would fly down to Florida as a kid to work on my dad & grandpa's sponge boat during the summers in the 90s. They took turns diving & my cousin & I cleaned the stinky sponges. Too bad you can't smell the sponges through the screen, it may be the worst smell I have ever smelled! My cousin says that smell was one of the reasons he worked hard in school, went to college & became an engineer. He never wanted to have to clean sponges for the rest of his life. I went to the sponge docks a few years after my dad passed & all those memories flooded back. It was an emotional day!

[@Thehouseoffail]

That red tide comment was on point. Last year, we had record breaking red tide. It killed almost everything, not just sponges. The entire Tampa Bay area was full of people who were sick from exposed to the high quantities. Many of us blame the chemical spill from the improperly maintained tanks that spilled into the water months prior to the outbreak. The culprits got away scott free.

[@Guerrilla727]

Yeah the spill on Bradenton did it.

[@physetermacrocephalus2209]

They were not exactly chemicals and they were not stored in tanks. It was large reservoirs of standing water saturated with nitrogen based fertilizer which accumulated from the farmlands and decorative landscaping. The earthen barriers used to contain this water collapsed and a lot of thar water drained into the bay causing the red tide algae to explode in population due to feeding on the excess nitrates.

[@Thehouseoffail]

@@physetermacrocephalus2209 I really appreciate the additional information you provided. However, I would argue that the distinction between chemicals and water contaminated with nitrogen fertilizer is negligible. After all, nitogen rich fertilizer is also called chemical fertilizer for a very good reason. And trying to separate the two is dangerous, considering how frequently golf courses and comericial farms try to use those kinds of terms to get around chemical fertilizer bans in the rainy months. Bans which exists to protect our fish, sponges, coral, and people. Bans which, had they been stricter and more broad, may have prevented the red tide disaster which is still effecting the population to this day and will continue to do so for years to come. You are however right about the tanks. That was a good point to make.

[@KB-ke3fi]

@@Thehouseoffail How do you think the "dead zone" at the mouth of the Mississippi in Louisiana happens? All that fertilizer and crud and chemicals and machine parts and crap from cows and pig farms from 30 states all flow into the river and go to the Gulf of Mexico....killing everything. But there are no restrictions for the northern states to clean up their act all the way to Minnesota, they just continue to pollute the river. Then it hits the Gulf stream and heads to Texas....and then Texas gets EPA fines from the freaking feds every year.

[@Thehouseoffail]

@@KB-ke3fi Also a fantastic point. Though, I'm not gointg to give Texas a pass because they have a terrible track record. But it is important to remember that interstate cooperation is crucial to keeping our coasts from becoming a wasteland. And that more northern, landlocked states are major polluters. That all waterways eventually lead to the ocean and need to be protected.

[@11jiv]

I prefer the loofa sponge you grow. I can get 18 pods, and cut them into 4 pieces. The seeds I keep for the next years growth. This is fascinating to know, I thought these were plastic sponges like the ones you find for dishes.

[@obviousness8113]

"They've harvested these animals since the 1900s..." Damn, that was a LONG time ago, therefore I am officially HISTORIC 🤠😂🤣

[@googlegilbertlevinmars322]

I went to tarpon springs when I was little. One shop there smells like my great grandpas house. Great breakfast diner and Greek diner. Reminds me of Ancient Greece, Poseidon and Apollo vibes.

[@Tripl3Doubl3]

Was hoping they would explain more about the Sponges and how they grow, eat, live for etc

[@aidanacebo9529]

what do you want to know? they are filter feeders, they will regrow from the tiniest part. they can live for many years, if not decades. they have lots of uses besides what was stated, lots of homes built from the teens to the 60s in that area use sponges as insulation. I actually worked for Taso, for about a year. Born and raised in Dunedin, just south of tarpon springs. I spent every day in that town, sometimes weeks at a time. I miss it.

[@Tripl3Doubl3]

@@aidanacebo9529 thanks for the informative reply. How do the Sponges reproduce and why do they mainly grow in tarpon springs?

[@aidanacebo9529]

@@Tripl3Doubl3 the closest sponge bed is about 10 miles NW of tarpon springs. it's not like they are back up in the bayou. we would go out for weeks, sometimes a month straight. sponge captains are understandably a little leery of giving away the locations of the sponge beds they frequent. it's also not just tarpon springs, Key West had a good sponge industry until the 90s. there's a great movie about it, filmed in the 60s in Tarpon Springs and Key West, called "below the 12 mile reef". I suggest you check it out.

[@aidanacebo9529]

@@Tripl3Doubl3 and as for how sponges reproduce? I'm not entirely certain. what I do know, is that they are the second lowest life form on earth, and they are animals. they aren't plants. they are more akin to coral. the sponge it's self is the skeleton of the animal. it has a skin to it, and to 'cure' the sponge, you have to dry it out and beat it with a stick, and soak it, and dry it out and beat it with a stick again. rinse and repeat, literally. all I did for hours every day was beat and rinse and beat and rinse. and the smell is God Awful. that's why I stopped. it's a dead animal. a dead fish smell, except this thing eats all the waste of the fish. so it smells extra bad.

[@anapaladi4499]

@@Tripl3Doubl3 Like mushrooms true pores 🤷

[@donnyzavicci8121]

Was a window cleaner once. We used these. They truly are the best you can use.

[@AJ-mw4nb]

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

[@sjbaem4448]

Sponge! Bob! Square! Pants!

[@youtubeaccount5673]

I could hear spongebob scream when the sponge was getting snipped by scissors

[@chinesecabbagefarmer]

Not for long.

[@ISDATBIGBEN908]

SpongeBob SquarePants

[@Founderschannel123]

Oh yeah the place where the nuke bomb was dropped

[@Katielady329]

These are my people! We come from a small island in Greece where sea sponges have been harvested for centuries

[@Jonasastrophotos]

i bought a sea sponge in Greece when i was on vacation. Its so good

[@Founderschannel123]

Tbh i myself taught sponges were made from plastic tho thats the one i use cus it just too expensive for my wallet lol until now because those mf be harvesting sea sponges and that shit look crazy.Anyways for me i do say sea sponges do take a hella long time to form especially the expensive ones ive heard from greece cus they produce high quality sea sponge tho it did damaged the eco system down there.

[@bongopro4401]

I went to that town a week ago and went into a restaurant, there was a guy playing the Bouzouki and we chat abt Greek music and such , as a musician myself I enjoyed the convo , I had no idea how many Greeks live there

[@mehere8038]

so I'm curious, do you have harvest limits there? This doesn't seem sustainable in this video does it!

[@toomanymarys7355]

@@mehere8038 You weren't paying attention, were you? The sponges regrow. They cut them instead of uprooting them to damage them less and only harvest large ones.

[@ant_life_4ever]

I never knew I was using a creature to bathe 🤦‍♀️ learn something new today. Now I want to visit, I’m sure the food is awesome.

[@chadandersen6590]

I mean most people arent using actual sea sponges to bathe or clean dishes... what?

[@gardenjhr]

@@chadandersen6590 maybe now, a lot of people still use these animals though

[@Thehouseoffail]

The food in Tarpon is fantastic. It's almost impossible for a chain restaurant to open in the city, due to ordinances. The place is basically wall to wall mom and pop resturants and stores. And all of them are so, so good.

[@ant_life_4ever]

@@Thehouseoffail thank you… I love Mediterranean! Now, I’m excited to put it on the list!

[@legoaustin2]

I was out geocaching in Tarpon Springs yesterday and when I saw this in my recommended I thought, what a coincidence! Tarpon Springs is great.

[@KB-ke3fi]

Well, it will all be ruined and too expensive one day soon with everyone moving there from New York.

[@quicksilver2923]

incredibly strange to see a place 10 mins from my childhood home on my youtube feed.

[@xXsnowberrieXx]

Business Insider made a video on sea sponges a couple of months ago. Interesting to see the different types of feedback on what's essentially the same topic. Just presented differently, and viewed from a different angle.

[@theotherohlourdespadua1131]

Aside from the fact one is made in Greece and the other is made in Florida?

[@bryanmcleod9346]

Yeah, and it makes me wonder if they mentioned gLoBaL WaRmInG as many times as she did in this video. Of course the weather changes! It's called Mother Nature and Seasons, which have been evolving for millinia!!

[@jennylawson1980]

I can understand both the highs and lows of sponge diving and harvest. I respect their hard line of work, and what they bring in to sell but I am super grateful they are giving their children and grandchildren a choice to do another trade.

[@GreenWitchHomestead]

Omg. I love this little town!!!! Best food around. And the most amazing families. I still have my tarpon spring spong.

[@toxicdollhouse6780]

If anyone ever passes through Hella's bakery 100000% recommend the restaurant and bakery are great!

[@ktng3176]

What stuff do you recommend ?

[@alparslankorkmaz2964]

Nice video.

[@lamegamesunanimous3445]

There probably killing so many of SpongeBob relatives 😅

[@npeace312]

Loved this video. I live 5 minutes from Tarpon Springs. Go there to visit a family ran aquarium, eat gyros and baklava.

[@emmanuelwekesa976]

it's amazing learning new things daily from this channel. I had heard the name sea sponge but never new beyond that.

[@birdflipper]

I don't know how I never even realized sponges were naturally occurring. Guess I never really thought about it before, thanks Business Insider!

[@josephevans5703]

Let's get this straight there is no climate crisis this has been going on for millennia

[@imchris5000]

this is near my summer house I got here every year sure it none of the stores really have changed in 20 years its fun to walk around its a real shame they moved the aquarium the new location for that just does not compare

[@greysonvoutsas6969]

Can't believe I watched the whole thing. Wow good job to whoever put this together. Very interesting.

[@wybuchowyukomendant]

Which industry DOESN"T struggle recently, globally.

[@Gelato_21]

I was waiting for it lol. In these videos, I always wait for the "But recently there's been..."

[@bemanos12345]

energy companies

[@mikemalo6336]

@0:45, did she just say increasingly frequent hurricanes prevented fishermen from getting out to sea? (and, oh, yeah destroyed the sponge ecosystem and habitat. But, please, let's not focus on overfishing pressures as causing losses in breeding population and preventing regeneration of the basic habitat they need.) You wanna make more profit? Expand the habitable area in which the sponges can grow. !! You go and clean an abandoned area, trash and pollutants included. You get a cheap 20 year lease and easement to expand your operations if needed, etc, *? Make it enticing but have some TEETH when needed so we dont get another abandoned Oil palm or Banana monoculture plantation superfund site. There's still plenty of profit left on those bones.

[@youtubeaccount5673]

I can hear spongebob scream everytime those sponges are handled

[@c0gimyun]

love tarpon springs! even as a kid it was one of my favorite day trips from orlando! ❤️ so many memories

[@chefnic4763]

I've seen this up close and personal in Key West. They are very strict about harvesting.

[@mastergreyskull523]

"very strict" lol

[@chefnic4763]

@@mastergreyskull523 Yes, they can only harvest a certain number per day. There is only one boat and crew allowed to harvest. VERY STRICT.

[@mehere8038]

@@chefnic4763 it's clearly not! Or if it is, then it's still incorrectly set at limits that are above growth rates, therefore depleting reserves - as they say in this video

[@chefnic4763]

@@mehere8038 I can only speak for what I saw in the Key West. What happens in other parts of Florida, I don't know 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@mehere8038]

@@chefnic4763 but you don't even know if one boat is low enough in harvest levels to be sustainable do you? Or do you? Do you know what the environmental studies on the sponges have said is a sustainable annual harvest number & how that compares to what is being harvested in that one boat? & then yeh, in addition to that you potentially have other boats from other areas harvesting too, so there's clearly nothing at all "strict" in genuinely protecting the sponges & ensuring harvests are kept to below reproduction rates

[@checkma8s]

Pls show the end product. How it is used? Incomplete video 😭😭😭😭

[@connorschepke4353]

THIS IS MY FAVORITE LITTLE TOWN IN FLORIDA IT IS LIKE A LITTLE GREECE

[@ktng3176]

Want to visit someday... Love 🇲🇾

[@mooltz]

Tarpon Springs? More like Tampon Strings! Red tide amirite?!? **slaps knee repeatedly** /s

[@antoxnsoekanto4529]

6:36 I don't think this sustainable as sponge need years to grow

[@toomanymarys7355]

So they are only harvested after years.

[@TheAdventureLocker]

very interesting!

[@WobblesandBean]

Am I the only one who feels bad for the sponges? I mean, this can't be sustainable.

[@apdroidgeek1737]

It can be sustainable if they are not greedy, like the reporter have said, sponges can regenerate incredibly fast. Or rather they can clone themselves very fast.

[@13thravenpurple94]

Great work 🥳 Thank youuuu 💜

[@JB-1007]

Have been here before. Very cool place. Feels like you’re in Greece. Great restaurants & cool tourist attractions

[@alexfarquharson3942]

I live about 30 or 40 minutes away from Tarpon Springs. There are some excellent Greek restaurants there.

[@Unhomiee]

Wasn't there a Sea Sponge video last year? Or am I imagining things?

[@emyymy6371]

there is, it is "so expensive" video

[@samsonsoturian6013]

Yeah. About Greek sponges.

[@Gluluman]

I visited the West Africa country of Senegal years ago; they use a more sustainable product. I believe it's called " Njampee" it's made with processed coconut husk . I bought a whole bag for $6... it would certainly last me two or three years . It's works wonderful and exfoliate very well.

[@amitsolanki5061]

I like your contant ❤️👌

[@johnathonmullis4234]

My parents first took us in the early 1970’s when we’d go to central Florida’s Disney World in the spring time. I took my children up till the early 2000’s but they weren’t interested in it. The movie with Cuba Gooding as a navy diver was the last year they were interested. The little Greek restaurants are decent but more for locals. I had a few locals that were rude in Greek. They didn’t realize I understood most of what they were saying as they spoke about how us tourist ruin everything. I started to speak up but as I looked around I realized they were right. The whole area is really small and encompasses their peer. It’s a great place to take your lady for a weekend getaway of nicknack shopping and dining. The Greek food is amazing and worth the trip on its own. I suggest taking a cab or Uber from your hotel because parking is minimal.

[@jack-gf6jw]

I live here and we haven't had a bad hurricane since Irma in 2017 (which didn't hit us hard at all) not sure why she made that into such a big deal. Everything else was accurate. Come buy a sponge and walk around downtown tarpon !

[@zroost]

The ever "looming" climate crisis, the narrative never ceases to be the scapegoat for all of mankind's woes

[@mehere8038]

meanwhile there's another commenter saying there's been daily severe storms all summer, to the point of flooding & a total inability of fishing or tourist boats to even get out of the docks

[@jack-gf6jw]

@@mehere8038 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 meanwhile everyone from tarpon has been boating all summer and I'll be going out tomorrow

[@toomanymarys7355]

@@mehere8038 They lied.

[@mehere8038]

don't you love how his response to hardly any of them left is just that he has to "look harder", not consider conservation & if he maybe should let them recover a bit, not just keep taking the last handful? But I guess he doesn't want to hand it down to his kids, so who cares if they go extinct huh?

[@SecondSonofQishan]

I live in Florida in a coastal town, it's more like a "get everything you can " situation when it comes to the red tide The red tide, also called blood tide, is a tide of Karenia brevis algae blooms that kills *everything* in it's path and even makes the people very sick, it leaves millions of animals dead every year and ruins our beaches and every Floridian has seen that terrible blood red color and smelled the smell of hundreds of thousands of rotting marine life corpses on our shore

[@delafontainedoes]

It's his livelihood, man. "Considering conservation" and "letting them recover" mean he goes hungry, at the time, his kids go hungry, maybe worse. I'm as much of an advocate for biodiversity and the environment as the next guy, but I completely understand why Captain Taso never did that. People do what they have to to survive.

[@mehere8038]

@@SecondSonofQishan sponges filter out stuff like that though don't they! I think you're way past the point where leaving sponges would make a significant impact on those, BUT lets not lose track of the fact that it's messing with the eco-system that causes that stuff & so taking the last of the sponges absolutely has the potential to make that problem worse, and to introduce new problems you haven't though of yet, just like red tides were unheard of in a time when the seabed was literally COVERED in these sponges eating any algae they could get hold of! It's absolutely irresponsible to say "oh well we've already destroyed the environment, so who cares if we destroy it some more too" - which is what I'm hearing in your comment

[@mehere8038]

@@delafontainedoes Plenty of alternate jobs available. That doesn't fly as an excuse either! No reason he can't get a part time job working in one of those tourist restaurants to supplement his income instead of taking the last of the sponges & wiping out the entire industry & tourism industry along with it. VERY short sighted to focus on eating today while wiping out all potential to eat tomorrow! PLENTY of countries limit the allowable catch, even this guy's native country! People there don't die of starvation because of it, do they!

[@PusheenDeCat]

Can I just say that the guy that runs Mykonos (a greek restaurant) is a both a really nice guy and a good cook my dad used to live in tarpon springs when he was a kid so we went and visited a couple of times any body who wants to go down there up there or wherever you are while your planning a visit should really go check it out

[@npeace312]

Good food there

[@PusheenDeCat]

Yes👍

[@therasbull]

It was my grandfather, William George Hammon V, who invented polyvinylformal, which replaced natural sponges in the market in the 1950s. They used to be the only sponge you could buy

[@ErinRaciell]

One of the worst things for the environment…

[@therasbull]

@@ErinRaciell lmao. not at all. And im glad that the sponge population in the Mediterranean, the old source, is now recovering.

[@mehere8038]

@@therasbull amazing the people who can be credited with saving species. I believe Viiagra had similar effects, saving huge numbers of endangered animals that had previously been used in traditional medicine to address the same issues that medication does

[@HashknightGaming]

Well hurricanes are much worse now I assume the sponges are less and less this year.

[@FFact483]

I love it when I happen upon a sponge boat - I was in Greece Rhodes when i saw a big boat selling mass assortments of sponges. So inexpensive- unfortunately here in Canada 🇨🇦 these sponges are too expensive to buy as often as we would like. Small one is $40 - found abroad for $2. Ahh shipping

[@theotheleo6830]

Shipping, middlemen, import taxes, and retail costs.

[@ryvr.]

“i don’t know how to do anything else” lmaoooo i feel you king

[@MikeDawson1]

I love these videos, but you guys *really* need to up your video quality game. This looks like highly compressed 720p footage!

[@AjanKan]

KZbin uses a different codec for videos with lesser number of views, or sometimes it depends on the channel avg views too

[@MikeDawson1]

@@AjanKan are you referring to AV1 vs VP9? There's not a huge noticeable quality difference there with the settings they use

[@chevy1221]

Hurricanes may not be becoming more frequent, but they’re still more dangerous There aren’t more of the storms now than there were roughly 150 years ago, a study suggests