You can pick up a synthetic sponge for just a few dollars. But a natural sea sponge, hand-harvested from the Mediterranean seafloor, could set you back $30. Harvesting these sponges is dangerous, and the risks don’t guarantee big rewards. Divers, or “the sponge men” as they’re called in Kalymnos, Greece, can find some of the most valuable sponges in the Mediterranean Sea. But these days, they're not so easy to come by. So what happened to the once-booming sea sponge population here? And why are these sponges so expensive? MORE SO EXPENSIVE VIDEOS: Why Zisha Teapots Are So Expensive | So Expensive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EePjNxfkOg Why Japanese Calligraphy Brushes Are So Expensive | So Expensive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEMi3s2IDS8 Why Supreme Is So Expensive | So Expensive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O0yi8YgYbs ------------------------------------------------------ #SeaSponge #SoExpensive #BusinessInsider Business Insider tells you all you need to know about business, finance, tech, retail, and more. Visit us at: https://www.businessinsider.com/ Subscribe: null BI on Facebook: https://read.bi/2xOcEcj BI on Instagram: https://read.bi/2Q2D29T BI on Twitter: https://read.bi/2xCnzGF BI on Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/Business_Insider/5319643143 Boot Camp on Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/Boot_Camp/3383377771 Why Sea Sponges Are So Expensive | So Expensive