Sponge diving

The sponge diving is the oldest known form of diving. It is used for at least 6,500 years to get natural sponges for human use. Because of today's industrial production of sponges, the sponge diving has become less important and often serves only the purposes of tourism.

Background

The composed of calcium carbonate or silica sclerites of most sponge species make it rough for most applications. Previously, only the ordinary bath sponge ( Spongia officinalis ) and the horses sponge ( Hippospongia equina ) were of the Mediterranean used as a bath sponge handy. Since the mid 19th century, the Caribbean species Spongia barbara (german yellow sponge ), Spongia graminea ( grass sponge and "glove sponge " ) and Hippospongia are lachne ( sheepswool sponge ) and Hippospongia gossypina ( velvet sponge ) and the reef sponges Spongia pertusa and Spongia tubulifera been added.

It is not known exactly when the sponge was an article of use. In ancient Greek writings, Plato and Homer mention the sponge as an object, which is used for bathing. By trading and Europeans used soft sponges for many purposes, including padding for helmets, portable drinking utensils and water filters. Until the invention of the synthetic sponge, they were used for the cleaning of tools for the application of inks and ceramic glazes, but also as a contraceptive. In the mid-20th century, however, were due to overfishing in both the sponges and the industry close to extinction.

Most items with a sponge-like structure are now full synthetic, which is primarily due to the lower cost.

History

Archaeological findings prove that even 4,500 BC apnea divers in East Asia, India and the Arabian Sea for pearls, mother of pearl, coral and sponges appeared. In Europe there were the first signs of the professional diving from about 2,500 BC began as a Greek sponge divers to harvest the sponges in large quantities.

Especially in Greece gained a high importance the sponge diving. This is due not only to the general occurrence of suitable sponges, but also to the local geopraphischen circumstances: On the island of Kalymnos only about 18% of the steep volcanic land could be cultivated, so that the main occupations of trade, boat building and sponge diving were. This was perhaps the oldest profession on the island. The sponge diving favored the social and economic development of the island, with the freediving for "harvesting " of the sponges was used. Kalymnos was the most important center of the sponge production in the Aegean and even today can this traditional profession, together with matching exhibitions and other local folklore, advertisements in three local museums.

The crew traveled in a small boat of the Mediterranean and used a cylindrical object with a glass bottom to scour the seabed on sponges can. If one is found, a diver went overboard to get him. Apnea was immersed mostly naked and with the help of a 15- kilogram Skandalopetras, a tightly bound with rope to the ship rounded stone, which enabled a rapid descent to the ground. The diver then cut off the sponge from the ground and placed him in a special network. Depth and time were therefore dependent on the lung capacity of the diver. They often came down to about 30 meters depth for up to five minutes.

Where it was possible, such as at Nauplia, dissolving the sponges by means of an iron attached to a long pole going on. The brought up sponges were freed immediately by washing with water from the mucus that sarcode, cleaned and then dried. Fraudulent enough, they could even be rubbed with fine sand to increase their weight, which then only had to be washed out again to the import places.

Even in the Florida Keys was the sponge diving, often run by Greek immigrants, of importance.

Sponge divers in 1900 in Tarpon Springs

Sponge fishermen threaded sponges to dry

Sponge divers under water, 1946 in Florida ( Photo: Hamilton Wright)