Why sea sponges are so expensive. #seasponge #mediterraneansea #spongediving

[Music] you can pick up a synthetic sponge for just a couple of dollars get a single sea sponge hand harvested from the Mediterranean Sea floor could set you back thirty dollars the most valuable ones are largely found here in the Mediterranean sponges from this region are desirable for their durability and softness but they're not so easy to come by and it means the dangerous effort to

find them isn't always worthwhile compared to the hundreds in the 60s only about 30 to 40 people still die for sponges and column knows today and this is actually one of the reasons the prices of some sponges have gotten so high because fewer people die for the sponges here the sponges have more time to grow and this means the ones divers do find are often bigger

which makes them more valuable higher prices mean a better return for divers and Merchants but with fewer sponges to find the future of an industry that once carried the island of kalimnos has a major hurdle to face