You will find the CretAquarium very easy to find, just follow the signposts to Gouves which is just a few kilometres from Heraklion Airport past Kokkini Hani.

CretAquarium

CretAquarium is a recent addition in the resort of Gouves on the east side of Crete about 30 minutes away from Heraklion City. CretAquarium is open normally 365 days a year and provides a wonderful insight into the sea life of the Mediterranean Sea.

As part of THALASSOKOSMOS (Hellenic Centre for Marine Research), the largest marine research, technology and entertainment complex in the Mediterranean, CretAquarium’s operation and development are founded on scientific knowledge and discoveries made in marine science. Its main goal is to educate people on the marine life under threat from extinction and educate people on how to save our fragile marine life and sea’s.

Along the 600 m seascape of the Mediterranean, the Greek seas and tropical waters awaiting them, visitors come face to face with approximately 2.500 organisms belonging to 200 species including turtles, sharks, sea urchins, moray eels and much much more. These are kept in 32 tanks, with a total capacity of 1.600.000 litres. The tanks alternate depending on the species, their habitats or habits.

Habitats which host numerous species and large species that have need of room are kept in large tanks, while in the smaller ones, visitors will come across particular species and micro-ecosystems which, though impressive and significant, would be lost to sight in the larger tanks. if you’re lucky you might be there at feeding time and the specially trained divers enter the tanks to feed the turtles and some of the sharks.