Kalymnos Sponge Factory

The Sponge Factory in Kalymnos: Kalymnos and sponges are two inseparable concepts for the Greeks. Sponges are known as “the Kalymnian Gold”. This barren rocky island located in the southeastern Aegean Sea could not offer anything to the islanders to make their living. The villagers thus turned towards the sea for their survival and sponge fishing became particularly popular on the island.

Thus the Kalymnians turned to the sea, holding their breath to cut sponges from the flat and sharp rocks. However, they could not stay long underwater. Later, a rubberized diving suit called "skafandro" with a bronze helmet became popular allowing the sponge hunters to stay underwater for a long duration. Though the process was very risky, the spongers could harvest sponges in large numbers. They were later collected in warehouses for processing.