Sponge Divers of Tarpon Springs

Richard’s retired now, but when I met him, he was part of a group of sponge divers out of Tarpon Springs. For over a century, these modern-day pirates have searched the Gulf for sponges—a tradition brought by Greek immigrants. The work is grueling, the days long, and downtime comes in the form of eating, drinking, and sleeping—not always in that order. Here's a few shots from our three-day trip at sea. Full gallery on website.