The Sponge Capital of the World
Tarpon Springs has long been known as the "Sponge Capital of the World." Today, over 100 shops and more than two dozen restaurants line the dock area covering several blocks. Visitors can shop, dine, cruise down the Anclote River to the Gulf of Mexico, and go deep-sea fishing.
History
Although the city was developed in the 1880s as a winter resort for wealthy Northerners, the arrival of the Greek sponge divers in 1905 changed the city forever. The early sponge divers created a need at the docks for eating places for the boat crews. Then as news of the industry grew, people began coming to the docks to see the sponges. Shops opened so people could buy the sponges and other souvenirs - thus the tourism industry in Tarpon Springs was born.
That industry was nearly wiped out in the 1940s when red tide destroyed the sponge beds off Florida's coast, but was re-established in the 1980s when new beds were found.
The "Red Tide" has returned to the Gulf of Mexico two months ago, June 2005, and has killed thousands of sealife including dolphins, turtles, fish, rare coral reefs and is once again eating away at the livelyhood of many a Greek fishermen.
I recently started to study the red tide phenomenon, as I watched the beaches here in Florida get littered with dead fish. It also produces flu like symptoms to humans, that are harmless.
Apparently it doesn't happen often, but when it does occur, it is devastating through out the Gulf sea world.
I Visit Tarpon Springs almost every weekend, as to me I have the best of both worlds... By that I mean, living in America, and have to Elliniko Xorio as we call it with a population of 20,000 Greeks... edw dipla mou... Wraia E????
Me oti mbakaliko, manaviko, fourno, kai taverna thes, akoma kai mbouzoukia...
And because the website info is too large for me to bring it here, I am providing you with the way to get there.
http://www.tarponsprings.com/tarpon_springs_history.html
kai
http://www.ci.tarpon-springs.fl.us/tourism/
Apistefto gia osous den to eikseran to meros afto, kai ena meros gemato zwh kai wraio kosmo  me mikroulia peripioimena spitakia kai megara (spitakia ) opou menoun ekeinoi pou profanws ydrosane poly na ta apoxtisoun
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
