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Tarpon Springs Just 5 minutes south of our vacation home is
one of the oldest cities on the Florida West Coast. The Greek heritage of this
area makes it truly unique in the entire United States. The Greeks first settled
this area around the turn of the century and started the sponge diving industry.
This is the only place in the US where sponge diving is actively pursued as an
industry. The colorful traditions and atmosphere introduced to this area by the
Greek sponge divers has continued today with sponge auctions, sponge diving
exhibitions, and the largest Epiphany celebration in the United States. Visitors
can enjoy the authentic Greek food in the more than 20 restaurants, shop in the
sponge and souvenir stores, and board cruise boats for half day or day trips for
casino gambling or fishing.
Anclote Key State Preserve -------------------------- Anclote Key State
Preserve is about 20 minutes by boat from our vacation home. More than 1,000
years ago, this island was pushed up from the floor of the Gulf of Mexico to
rest on a limestone platform. It is still slowly growing today and its size has
increased by more than 25% since 1956. This 4 mile long island is one of the few
truly unspoiled and undeveloped islands left along the Florida coast.
Anclote Lighthouse The abandoned lighthouse on the southern end of this
remote island adds to the islands fragile beauty and character. The lighthouse
was built in the 1880's and server almost 100 years to protect the mariners in
the Gulf of Mexico. With the advent of more modern navigational tools such as
the LOng RAnge Navigation System (LORAN) and later the Global Position System
(GPS) it became obsolete and was decommissioned in 1984.
Anclote Wildlife Rare and endangered birds and turtles inhabit Anclote Key.
Visitors travel to the island by boat every year to enjoy the more than 40
species of birds that live there including the American Oystercatcher, Bald
Eagle, and Ospreys (sometimes called fish eagles). The Ospreys have numerous
nesting sites in the tall pine trees that cover the island. Turtles can also be
spotted on the island including endangered Loggerheads and Green Turtles.
Anclote Activities The main activities on the island are swimming in the
shallow Gulf waters that are as warm as a bathtub in the summer. The gradual
slope of the beaches makes it easy for oldsters as well as youngsters to enjoy
the clear warm waters, which are said by some to provide solstice for the soul
as well as the body. Shelling is also a favorite activity. Several species of
shells can be collected. Sand dollars can also be found by digging your toes
into the sand in about 2 or 3 feet of water and feeling the sand dollars under
the surface of the sand. The sand dollars vary in size from 1 to 6 inches
across.
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