Sponges for Sale

One of my favorite stops in Florida is Tarpon Springs. This town still has the old world Greek charm along the sponge docks of the Anclote River. The sponge harvesting operation thrived until the 1970's then the Sponge Exchange (the place where sponges were sold at auction) closed and became a shopping plaza.

Small shops, like those shown below, still line Dodecanese and some other intersecting streets. These shops haven't changed since the 1970's except for air conditioning and credit card machines. The shop owners come out every so often and dip the sponges into a bucket of water to keep them soft.

Click to enlarge

Curio Shops
Tarpon Springs, Florida
June 2006