Where To Find The Endangered Irrawaddy Dolphins In Cambodia
Last Updated: March 1 2021
If you are an animal lover like us then you have to visit the Irrawaddy Dolphins in Cambodia! It is a wonderful experience and definitely one that has been on our bucket list since hearing about them in Asia. Their numbers have been dwindling for the past few decades; but now they are finally on the rise.
Where to see the Irrawaddy Dolphins in Cambodia:
If you are wanting to see these beautiful creatures, Kratie is the best place to stay. The dolphins are located around 15km North of Kratie in an area called Kampi. There are daily tours that run there, with some incorporating other sights around Kratie as well. Another option is to book a Tuk Tuk driver who will take you there and back.
In Kampi there is a ticket office, where you can buy a ticket to go on a small river boat. The tickets are around $9 each, for an hours boat ride. The locals who run these boats will point out to you when they see a dolphin to make them easier to spot. They will also make sure they turn their engines off when they get close so to not spook the dolphins.
When is the best time to see the Irrawaddy dolphins?
When researching the best time to visit these dolphins, the general response was dry season. This is because the dolphins gather in a smaller place, and tend to be more active. When it is wet season and the water level is higher, they can be a lot harder to spot and they tend to move around a lot. We saw a lot of reports about how it is best to visit early morning, or late afternoon when they are more active. Our Tuk Tuk driver organised to pick us up in the afternoon, and we got to Kampi around 3pm.
The Irrawaddy dolphins:
The Irrawaddy dolphins are located in the Mekong River, between Kratie in Cambodia up to Laos. These dolphins are critically endangered, and face many threats including fishermans nets, water pollution and over fishing. There are only an estimated 92 dolphins left in the Mekong River. Although their numbers are steadily increasing they still have a long way to go. The best way to learn about these beautiful animals is to make sure you go to Kampi, and experience them for yourselves.
We had an incredible Tuk Tuk driver, who knew all about the dolphins and gave us lots of in depth information. He explained the practices that have been put in place to save these creatures, and it made us happy to know that something was actually being done. Fishing practices are being monitored here to check for illegal fishing methods and even the tourism boats are very careful when it comes to disturbing the dolphins. We hope that these practices will help the Irrawaddy dolphin numbers to improve even more!
Thank you for reading this post, we hope it has encouraged you to go and visit these amazing creatures!
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Thanks,
Jack & Abbie.
I’m one half of Acouplescalling. I'm passionate about all things travel and photography and I love sharing my experiences with others. I've seen a lot of the world already and I want to help as many people as I can do the same thing!
