Another Season Over!

As the thunder growls overhead and the streets of Hersonissos run with muddy water and the warm winter clothing is aired once more, it's time to declare the season over.

In spite of all its ups and downs, the year 2006 has seen yet another record in the number of visitors to Aquaworld - part of a continual growth curve which was only interrupted in 2004 - Athens Olympic year. A rather sad latter half of May and a somewhat disasterous June were more than offset by new heights reached in July, September and October.

A large part of this is due to the unfailing patronage of an ever-increasing number of regular visitors to Crete - visitors for whom a trip to Aquaworld is now simply an established part of their holiday itinerary - a "must-do" each time they're here. These folks have been particularly active in suggesting to others that they should not miss out on the experience - both by way of word of mouth and by the many favourable comments they have posted on the Internet. Our thanks to them all.

Highlights of the year started at the end of last summer with the first ever hatching of marginated tortoises (Testudo marginata) in the reptile garden. It is our hope that we will become successful enough in this respect that one day we will be releasing young tortoises on an annual basis into suitable wild habitats.

The local Balkan terrapins (Mauremys rivulata) have again produced seven young which will also eventually be released to augment threatened populations around the island.

Krakos, a three-year-old Boa constrictor, was given into our care and his former owners made the very kind gesture of donating his brand new terrarium to Aquaworld.

Burma (Python molurus bivittatus) has now grown to almost four metres and has become a star of local television as well as having had a video made for a national TV channel.

Snap, the Nile crocodile, is still with us but we are now investigating the possibility of rehoming him at the new Attica Zoo outside Athens. He still hasn't managed to chomp me - but I'm sure he still feels he owes me one!

On the other hand, Mr Prickles, the green iguana, managed to do just that and I went around for a couple of weeks with my hand in a sling. Word of advice - never get between warring male iguanas - it's painful!

Again, thanks to all concerned and we hope to see you all again next year.

John & Judith McLaren

Aquaworld Art

Colin Middleton recently visited Aquaworld and, in spite of them persisting in moving around at the most inopportune moments, produced the following images of the moray eel and the octopus:

Colin, thank you for sharing your art with us all. At some stage soon, I'll add them to the main site at www.aquaworld-crete.com - and I will do so with pleasure - beautiful portrayals!

John McLaren

Aquaworld's Signs - Gone!

At an "inter-aquaria" management meeting on 6th September, I agreed to the positioning of a new CretAquarium sign below my "Aquaworld, 50m this way" signs in Hersonissos. This was at the suggestion of Mr Fotis Pantazoglou, a member of the CretAquarium management, and with the agreement of CretAquarium manager, Mr Papadakis. Our joint aim was to point out clearly to visitors to Crete that there were two aquaria on the island and indicate where they were relative to each other.

Before the Agreement

"Please don't take my signs away!"

By a remarkable coincidence, just hours after the new CretAquarium sign went up below mine, an official of the prefecture of Heraklion just happened to pass by and order MY signs' removal since there is apparently a rule that there cannot be two signs indicating the "same thing in different places." He/she totally ignored numerous other "illegal" signs along the same road!

Through no wishes of their own, local community police were obliged to take my signs down. This they did carefully and returned them to me more or less intact.

After the Agreement

"Same lamp post - just 50m from Aquaworld,
but no longer any mention of Crete's first aquarium

just around the corner!"

I immediately telephoned Mr Pantazoglou and informed him of the facts. He replied that the whole thing was ridiculous since CretAquarium and Aquaworld were obviously not the "same thing" at all. Nonetheless, Aquaworld's signs now lie useless in front of the aquarium and tourists have little idea where to find us.

"Aquaworld's derelict signs lying useless in
front of the aquarium."

In a discussion with Mr Danelakis, deputy mayor of Hersonissos, he suggested that I simply put some distance between the two signs and the problem would be solved. I respectfully asked Mr Pantazoglou to move the CretAquarium sign some 30m up the road and I would be able to put my signs back. There has been no response to this suggestion as yet.

Instead, Mr Pantazoglou has recommended me to put new signs up. His signwriter, following his instructions, has come up with this:

"Suggested new signs - which Aquaworld has to pay for!"

Now, these are undoubtedly very attractive signs, and my respects to Lefteris who has wasted his time producing them. You might notice the fundamental flaw - they don't mention the word "Aquarium" or its Greek equivalent "Enythreio" anywhere! They could be directing people to a water park, an aquarium supply shop or, as more than one person has suggested, a scuba-diving centre!

The second problem with these suggested signs is that they are definitely not the correct colours for directing visitors to places of interest. These are clearly, legally defined throughout Europe, and Greece is no exception. You can see the rules if you go to http://ec.europa.eu/transport/road/publications/trafficrules/reports/signs_signals/signs_signals_greece_en.pdf

Pages 24 & 28 clearly show that all "touristic" signs MUST have a brown background, Greek lettering in yellow, and the phoenetic, or English, lettering in white - almost exactly as the "illegal" Aquaworld signs are, in fact.

I have tried on several occasions to get my Aquaworld signs - as they are - legalised, but keep on coming up against seemingly insurmountable walls - "It's not possible" (an official of the Hersonissos council) and "It's too difficult" (a member of the local community police). Since he obviously has the know-how, I have asked Mr Pantazoglou for his assistance on this one. Yet again, no reply as yet.

Now, call me naive if you will, but I still believe that the CretAquarium team are not actively out to scupper Aquaworld, but not one of the many local people I've spoken to believes this. They see a deliberate and calculated campaign to reduce the profile of Aquaworld to zero and to make it all but invisible to visitors to Crete.

What do you believe? Please vote "Yes" if you think there are too many coincidences and that Aquaworld has been targeted:

Do you think CretAquarium is trying to sink Aquaworld?
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	No
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