Sea Sponges
Many years of research and experience have taught us that the sea sponge is a vegetable creature of the sea, found on the sea bed in the shape of a disproportionate balloon, mostly growing on rocks in large underwater camps at a depth of 60 feet and over.
The sea sponge makes inward and outward motions, that is, it puffs and pants in the water, as if breathing. By making these motions, it absorbs and releases sea water, keeping the substances it needs to feed itself.
The sea sponge is envoloped by a soft and glue-likesubstance, which looks like skin.
Our fisherman call this skin "Tsipa". When the Tsipa is removed, one can see the spongy mass excreting a milky and sticky substance which has a very nasty smell, By squeezing this substance out of the sea sponge we are left with the sea sponge in it's recognised form. However, it is still not ready for use because it still needs to be washed and to recieve the necessary treatment.
The fishing of sea sponges is done by divers who reach the depth of the sea, either completely unequiped or by wearing masks or the latests deep sea diving equipment.
The fisherman's task is very difficult and dangerous. The divers who descend into really great depths expose themselves to the "Divers" illness.
A large number of very good quality sea sponges can be found in the mediterranean in the Greek islands and especially in Cyprus.














