A peaceful early morning on the Mekong with rare wildlife
The Irrawaddy dolphins at Kampi are a critically endangered population of river dolphins living in a deep pool of the Mekong 15 km north of Kratie, in north-east Cambodia. Around 100 survive in the Cambodian Mekong: a 2020 census counted 89 and the government estimated about 105 in 2024. Community boats take visitors out for 60 to 90 minutes, for about $8 to $10 per person, and cut their engines so the dolphins can be watched quietly as they surface.
September 2026
Photo: Jean-Claude Durka en:User:Jcdurka, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
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The Irrawaddy dolphins at Kampi live in a deep pool of the Mekong River 15 kilometres north of Kratie, in north-east Cambodia. Kampi is the most reliable place in the country to see these rare, round-headed river dolphins, from small wooden boats that cut their engines and drift while the dolphins surface around them.
This is not a dolphin show. There are no leaps and no tricks, just a broad, quiet river, the knock of a paddle and, every few minutes, the soft puff of a dolphin breathing as a grey back rolls through the water. For many travellers it is one of the most peaceful and moving hours in Cambodia.
The Irrawaddy dolphin is found in coastal waters and a few great rivers of South and South-East Asia. It looks quite unlike the sea dolphins most people know. It has no beak, a high rounded forehead, a small, blunt dorsal fin and a grey body paler underneath. Adults reach about 2.3 metres and weigh 90 to 200 kilograms.
The Mekong population is one of only three river populations of the species in the world. The dolphins live along about 180 kilometres of the river between Kratie and the Khone Falls on the Laos border, gathering in deep pools, and Kampi is one of the most important of them.
When they surface you see a smooth, round head and a short back with a small fin, rather than a pointed snout.
On a calm day you often hear them before you see them: a short, sharp puff as they breathe at the surface.
They surface briefly, often in small groups, and dive for a minute or more. Occasionally one spy-hops or splashes, but that is a bonus.
Many river communities along the Mekong hold the dolphins in special regard, and their survival is a point of local pride.
The Mekong’s Irrawaddy dolphins are listed as critically endangered. After decades of decline, a census by WWF and Cambodia’s Fisheries Administration counted 89 dolphins in 2020, a figure described as stable, with more calves surviving than before. In mid-2024 the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries put the number at about 105.
Tourism plays a part. Boat fees give local families an income that depends on living dolphins, and a visit shows that the community and the country value them.
You buy a ticket at the riverside, climb into a small wooden boat with a boatman and a life jacket, and head out into the pool. Near the dolphins the engine is cut and the boatman paddles or lets the boat drift, keeping a respectful distance.
Sightings are very likely but never guaranteed. On a typical trip you see dolphins surface several times, sometimes close to the boat, sometimes further off. Patience is rewarded; the quieter you are, the better it goes.
Photography. Dolphins surface for only a second or two, so photographing them takes patience. Use a fast shutter, keep the camera ready rather than raised, and watch the water where the last one went down. Many people find it more rewarding to put the camera away after a few tries and simply watch.
From the bank. You can sometimes spot dolphins from the riverbank at Kampi, but a boat takes you into the pool and gives you a far better chance of seeing them well.
| Location | Kampi dolphin pool, Sambok commune, 15 km north of Kratie |
|---|---|
| Boat price | About $10 per person for one or two people, about $8 per person for three or more; children less |
| Trip length | About 60 minutes in the dry season and up to 90 minutes in the wet season |
| Booking | Not needed; buy at the landing |
| Boat size | Small wooden boats for four or five passengers |
| Best times | Early morning, roughly 7:00 to 9:00 am, or late afternoon, 4:00 to 6:00 pm |
Prices are set by the local cooperative and are reviewed from time to time, so confirm them when you arrive.
Dolphins are at Kampi all year, but the dry season, from about December to May, is best. Low water concentrates them in the deep pool and the river is calmer, making them easier to spot. In the wet season the river is high and fast, and the dolphins spread out, so boat trips last longer to compensate.
Kampi is 20 to 30 minutes north of Kratie town by tuk-tuk along the river road, which passes stilt houses, pagodas and sugar palms. Many people cycle it, which is lovely in the early morning. Kratie itself is a long half-day’s drive from Phnom Penh and a natural stop between the capital and the north-east.
Kratie is also the gateway to the north-east: the highlands of Mondulkiri, with their elephant projects, and the waterfalls of Ratanakiri. For more river life, see the Tonle Sap floating villages, and our wildlife experiences.
We plan Kampi at the right time of day, with a guide who knows the river and a community homestay or riverside hotel nearby. A stop at Kratie fits naturally into our Highlands Expedition by dirt bike and Mondulkiri Farm Immersion journeys to the north-east. Ask us to add the dolphins to your trip.
Koh Trong is a car-free island in the Mekong opposite Kratie town, reached by a short ferry. A roughly 9 km loop road passes stilt houses,…
