WestIslandKev filmed: February 4, 2015 - Kratie, Cambodia. Amazing Day hiring a boat for an hour and touring around catching wonderful glimpses of the amazing beautiful Irrawaddy Freshwater Dolphins on the Mekong River. I enjoyed the 1.5 hour trip up river from Kratie to the Dolphin viewing area as well as the 1 hour viewing them. It was a fun day and we saw much of life along the river. Around 20 kilometres north of Kratie, at the village of Kampi, the swirling waters of the Mekong are considered one of the best places in the world to see the critically endangered Mekong Irrawaddy dolphin. Info: The Mekong dolphin population is now restricted to the upper 190km (190km = 118.06 miles) of the Cambodian Mekong River, from Kratie north to the Laos/Cambodian border. Photo-identification studies have shown that the total population was an estimated 127 individuals in 2005, as may now be as few as 86 Irrawaddy dolphin is not a true river dolphin but an oceanic type that has developed after years to live in the freshwater of Irrawaddy River. Irrawaddy dolphins are a very lovely and helpful animal that are considered a friend and a lucky charm to the local fishers. They are known to help fishermen drive fish into their nets. Classified as critically endangered. The Irrawaddy Dolphin is distinctive in that unlike the majority of species of dolphin which have a long nose and pointed features, the Irrawaddy species has a blunt nose and straight mouth, rounded tail and fins, and can grow up to 9 meters in length. It's this appearance, along with its extraordinarily intelligent behaviour, that leads many Cambodian's to liken the dolphin to man, and they refer to the Irrawaddy Dolphin as' half man, half fish'. The dolphins are found in many rivers all over the Asian continent, but were first discovered in Myanmar and the name 'Irrawaddy' is given to them after the name of the famous Burmese River in which they were originally spotted. In Cambodia, they habitate a large part of the Mekong river, and the majority of this dolphin territory is in the section of river that runs through the picturesque, rural and traditional town of Kratie in east-central Cambodia. Locals who fish in the Mekong in Kratie frequently praise the dolphins for their intelligence and the part they play in unique fishing techniques where they play the most important role, reacting to careful calls and driving fish toward the fisherman. They are beautiful to watch, inquisitive and playful. The Irrawaddy Dolphins of Kratie are protected under an environmental act drafted by the Cambodian government, however they are endangered, and we ask anyone to please respect their habitats and be sensitive to their environment. Trip Background: Hi, on Thursday, January 22, 2015, I departed Montreal, Canada for a 6 week vacation in Cambodia. I am filming my journey and will share the flight videos as well as highlights of my visit to Cambodia. Please check out my videos and let me know what you think. I hope that you enjoy my vids! Thanks for watching, please subscribe! Sony HDR-XR520V 240gb HD, 12x optical, 1080HD

• published: 22 May 2015
• views: 430