#sponge diving

Greek captain Antonis Kampourakis has been diving into the depths of the Aegean sea, scouring the seafloor for precious sponges, for over 50 years.

Sponge diving has been practiced for untold centuries on Kampourakis’ native island of Kalymnos, where the practice makes up a vital part of the economy and local identity.

The captain himself, who continued to plunge into the sea in search of sponges until he was 72, embodies the courageous spirit of the sponge divers of Kalymnos.

Even though there were diving suits and oxygen tanks available to him, Kampourakis always preferred to free dive — relying only on his own strong lungs.

Astoundingly, the diver has reached depths of 30 meters (98.4 feet) all while holding his breath.

The more complicated modern life becomes, the more verbose “experts” are at attempting to “explain” its trials and tribulations. And yet, a look back, stripped of suffocating technology and stifling analyses, can offer an insight that has been blinded out by the noise of so-called progress and political correctness.

One such example is the “Dance of the Mihanikos” (also know as the Kalymniotikos or the Diver’s Dance – the word “mihani” refers to the heavy “skafandro suit” they wore) – a cathartic choreography that symbolises sharing, trust, acceptance and hope.

Beneath the 12-Mile Reef *** (1953, Robert Wagner, Terry Moore, Gilbert Roland) – Classic Movie Review 9006

Director Robert D Webb’s 1953 adventure Beneath the 12-Mile Reef stars the young and innocent-looking Robert Wagner and Terry Moore as a latter-day Romeo and Juliet, brightening up an early CinemaScope tale of love, hate and revenge between American and Greek sponge-fishing families in Florida’s Key West.

In rather odd casting, Wagner is supposedly Tony Petrakis, the son of Greek swimmer Mike…

Sponge Capital of the World

By Linda Tancs

Known for its Greek culture, Tarpon Springsis a city along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Just 45 minutes north of St. Petersburg, the locale is named for the fish found in abundance in nearby waters. Greek eateries line the waterfront, a legacy of the sponge divers who settled there in the early 1900s. Walk along Dodecanese Boulevard to see docked sponge boats and shops selling sea…

“Kokkinos S.A., based οn Kalymnos Island, began its operation way back in the late 1800’s, focusing οn the collection of superior quality natural sponges. The brand name “Kalyspongea” was created having in mind the international fame that the Kalymnian sponge divers enjoy.

Therefore we devised a brand name that consists of two parts: the name of Kalymnos Island and the suffix -spongea that is found in many scientific names of sponge species. The tagline of the brand: “Kalymnian Sponge & Sea Shell Experts” highlights the knowledge and experience of Kokkinos S.A. in its field.

Symi Island - Greece