Cretaquarium

Cretaquarium

Main entrance view
Date opened	December 18, 2005 (2005-12-18)
Location	Gournes, Crete, Greece
Land area	1.600 m2
Coordinates	35°19′58″N 25°16′57″E / 35.332685°N 25.282474°E / 35.332685; 25.282474Coordinates: 35°19′58″N 25°16′57″E / 35.332685°N 25.282474°E / 35.332685; 25.282474
Number of animals	2.500
Number of species	250
Total volume of tanks	1.700.000 lt
Website	cretaquarium.gr

Cretaquarium (Greek: Ενυδρείο Κρήτης, Enidrio Kritis) or Thalassocosmos (Greek: Θαλασσόκοσμος, "sea world") is a public aquarium located near the town of Gournes in Crete, Greece, 15 km east of the city of Heraklion.

Tank in Cretaquarium

The Cretaquarium project was conceived by employees of the former Institute of Marine Biology of Crete (IMBC) to create the first large aquarium in Greece, as part of a marine park for research, education, culture and recreation. Its construction was co-financed by the European Investment Bank and the Greek state. Cretaquarium first opened its doors in December 2005 and went through a major expansion during the winter of 2008-9, when 25 new tanks were installed. The aquarium is currently operated by the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, a public research institution. Its exhibits focus on the marine fauna of the Mediterranean region and include sea organisms from over 250 species in more than 60 tanks.

Cretaquarium is located on the site of the former USAF Ηeraklion Air Station.

External links

• Official website
• Cretaquarium's's channel on YouTube
• Hellenic Centre for Marine Research