Crete’s first aquarium, the privately run Aquaworld opened in June 1995 and was the brainchild of Scotsman John McLaren, who started rescuing injured marine animals in the early 1990s and runs the aquarium with the support of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. A wonderland for families and animal lovers, the rescue center houses a collection of animals that have been injured or abandoned; the aim behind the center is to nurse them back to health and provide a safe habitat for life. The headliners at Aquaworld include enormous pythons, a Nile crocodile, and Stephania, a blind turtle who has lived in the center since 2000.
Aquaworld is located at the western end of Hersonissos, 18 miles (30 kilometer) east of Heraklion and 24 miles (40 kilometer) west of Agios Nikolaos. You can reach the center by bus or taxi, or make a stop as part of a family-friendly driving tour of the island.
The center is open Monday to Saturday (closed Sundays) from April through October. It is often crowded on weekends, so visit on weekdays to have more opportunities to hold and photograph the animals.
