Spongeorama

Tarpon Springs, Florida

"The sea and men . . . men who search the sea for treasure. But the treasure they seek is not gold or jewels . . . "

So begins the amazing fifties-vintage promo film video-projected in the Cinematic Theater of Spongeorama. Onscreen, craggy toothless men scan the horizon for favorite sponging spots. Start any tour of Tarpon Springs at the Cinematic Theater, which has reduced its admission to only one dollar.

Reasons for the bargain become obvious as the room first darkens and a video infomercial fills the screen.

For fifteen minutes, Neil, the owner of the adjacent Sponge Factory gift shop, is your onscreen host. "Here we are in the Sponge Factory, and I might add that the Sponge Factory is Tarpon Springs' largest retailer of natural sponges." Neil fondly lofts a specimen from the souvenir bins. "But if a few of you were thinking about buying a sponge today, and I sure hope you are, there are a few things that we think are so important for you to understand about the natural sponge..."

We learn about where sponges grow, how they're harvested. The wool sponge is revealed to be the "Cadillac of Sponges." Neil gives an inspiring demo of the mysterious "Loufa" -- a gourd with a rope through it -- then extols the laudable wiping properties of the chamois cloth. The audience sits, silently, soaking it all in.

The old film finally begins. Off to sea go the men. A dive. Sharks menace. A catch is made. Back to port. Sponges are cleaned and measured. Price haggling at the Sponge Exchange. The Epiphany arrives: Greek-American youths dive into the harbor to retrieve the Golden Cross. While the cheap and plentiful artificial sponge is never attacked outright, the dangers and uncertainties of its use are nonetheless impressed upon the audience.

Our favorite part in the film is a delirious montage near the end, proving that "in the modern world, the natural sponge has more uses than ever." While a Greek chorus continuously chants "Need it, need it," other voices call out:

When the film ends, the fishy-smelling Sponge Diving Free Museum next door is ever-enlightening with dioramas depicting the history, biology and lore of the sponge. Exhibits like "Popular Greek Foods" and "How Spongers Are Paid" are behind grimy glass. The most memorable is about two thirds of the way through -- a sad diorama that should be called the "Sponge Diver's Nightmare."

Tarpon Springs is a predominantly Greek community, originally drawn to the Florida gulf to harvest its rich sponge beds. The gulf beds are now nearly exhausted, and artificial sponges have absorbed most of the market. The old Sponge Exchange is now a shopping mall. At the waterfront, a ragtag row of seasoned boats bob silently, restaurants sell souvlakis and sour cheese pies, and souvenir stands specialize in classical statuary, sponge plant-holders, and rubber sharks and divers. Tourism thrives -- and Spongeorama rules!

Also see: Sponge Diver's Nightmare