History of the Pelican Petros Mykonos
The undisputed symbol of the beautiful Mykonos island as now all the world knows is the Pelican. Its story dates back to 1954 when, one morning, Captain Charitopoulos, after a violent storm that struck Little Venice, a very particular area of Mykonos Town, found a wounded pelican on the beach.
Probably the presence of the animal derives from the fact that the Mykonos island is one of the most important migratory routes of birds and that being in the blizzard has lost its orientation and following the injury it landed on the beach.
Charitopoulos pitied by the pelican, he decides to take care of the animal and get it back in shape to continue its journey but the bird instead decides to settle permanently in Mykonos where the inhabitants also begin to look after it, also giving it a name Petros.
Petros is considered a Fortune sign because since it arrives on the island, tourist activity has increased considerably, bringing a lot of people and consequently money, plus a barite deposit has been found which contributes to the enrichment of Mykonos.
Among the inhabitants, Theodoris Kyrantonis is the person who takes Petros most to heart, thus becoming inseparable. The neighboring Tinos island tries in some way to steal Petros to make them their mascot, risking almost a war with Mykonos who ardently defended their favorite and benefactor.
The friendship between Petros and Theodoris, however, was interrupted in 1975 when the man died of a banal fall. The story goes that the animal did not move from the coffin of the lost friend until the moment it was buried. Theodoris' son continued to take care of Petros until 1986 when he was an elderly animal and he also left the earthly world.
Jackie Kennedy fell in love with Mykonos when she was invited by Onassis to spend her first holidays on the island, she decided at Petros' disappearance to give a new pelican always called Petros to which was added Irene donated by the Hamburg zoo and Nikos found injured and also it lovingly cared for by the inhabitants. They are usually spotted wandering around the fish market, in Little Venice and near the port and if you have the opportunity, take a nice souvenir photo with these cute animals, an indisputable symbol of the island of Mykonos.