Merry Christmas and a Magnificent 2024!

Another year comes to an end, and what a year 2023 was…

We broke two records, by shipping 58 of our “XL” boxes to Sea World Abu Dhabi in April and 39 of our regular boxes to Gdynia Aquarium only a few days ago. We broke a third record by consolidating our financial stability with our highest ever income and returns.

We shipped crabs that are being used as research subjects on A.I., we shipped algae that are being used for researh on climate change, because they can make animal feed produce less methane. We shipped hundreds of animals to two recently opened aquaria in Abu Dhabi, and we saw our “Mobile Station” one step closer to completion, as we prepare to finetune the last details before hitting the road with it.

We also gave away more than 9.000 euros in Research and Humanitarian funds, entering “the red” for the first time, which means we have now given more than what we received from clients. But you know what? We’re going to keep giving anyway, because life has been treating us right, and the very least we can do is treat others right as well.

After all, our friend Benjamin Clementine sings…

We all make a living by what we get
But we make life by what we give

…and we couldn’t agree more, which is why we surpassed the 100.000 euros mark of Research & Humanitarian donations last Summer. On that note, we continue to support our friends from Loving the Planet, who are raising awareness about the dangerous perils our planet is facing, but we’re now also focusing strongly on helping Stand4good as well, an organization that helps students who get accepted to a University, but then lack the funds to attend.

But at the very heart of 2023 was the tremendous privilege that we enjoyed in September, by welcoming 170 delegates from 31 countries during this year’s scientific meeting of the European Union of Aquarium Curators, who showered us with nothing but words of kindness and praise after they left.

What they don’t know is how hard we partied after we dropped the last group at the airport!

Because we most definitely know how to work hard at Flying Sharks, but we know how to play hard too!

We’ll finish off this (long) post by mentioning another highlight on this fabulous 2023, which was the partnership we struck with our friends from TechAquarium, right in the middle of the EUAC meeting! Flying Sharks now owns 1/3 of this young company, who’s doing amazing work in Europe, and soon around the globe! If you want your acrylic panels polished with virtually no noise and absolutely no residue at all, give us a call!

We wish you all a superb 2024 and we hope to see you soon! Whether we show up with fish & invertebrates behind a badass truck, or holding acrylic polishing materials in our hands, is for you to choose!

Have a wonderful Holiday Season and a Magnificent 2024!