There are many stories about Petros the Pelican. Some are true, some pure fiction. But there is one thing that can be said for sure: the stubby, funny- looking bird with the impressive wing span and the long beak has been recognized as symbol of Mykonos almost as widely as its iconic windmills.
The year was 1955 or it might have been a little later, in 1958. A fisherman from Mykonos called Thodoris was out in the sea gathering his fishnets, when a large white bird fell on his boat. It was a pelican that had for some reason been separated with its flock. Astonished by the sight, since pelicans do not really frequent the Greek skies, the fisherman decided to help the poor animal and brought it back with him.
Other fishermen and islanders helped take care of the bird and bring it back to health. And the animal got so used to human presence, that never left to return to its flock. Instead, Petros, as he was called after a heroic fisherman , friend of Thodoris who had been executed by the Germans, started roaming the harbour and Chora's cobbled streets in pursue of his next meal: fishermen returning from their catch, shop owners and their customers were always eager to throw him a treat. He even had a favorite hang-out: the small chapel of Agia Moni, next to Skepathiano's fish tavern.
