Local travel and tourism firm Luxury Holidays Myanmar said it will start dolphin watching tours on the Ayeyarwaddy river with possibility of staying overnight on board in northern Mandalay area.
The Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) is a species of oceanic dolphin found in discontinuous subpopulations near sea coasts and in estuaries and rivers in parts of the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia.
Watching the Irrawaddy dolphin could be a thrilling experience in northern Myanmar. While the number of this dolphin is limited, the best chance for travellers to behold the scene of dolphin swimming upstream the river is to take a day cruise or charter a normal boat for one or two nights.
The new travel product will allow travellers to watch the dolphins and experience the river landscapes, local village life while staying in a cabin, the Yangon-based Luxury Holidays Myanmar, which has offices in Vietnam and representative in Europe, said.
“The trips are very flexible and interestingly ideal for those who want to escape from the crowd in Mandalay, seeing the wildlife of Myanmar. The private cruise allows our customers to catch the haunting sunset, listening to the gentle wave of Irrawaddy and of course, taking the highest opportunity to photograph the dolphin,” Kyaw Myat Htoo, managing director of Luxury Holidays, said.
“The experience can be considered as add-on for a long journey discovering the kingdom of Myanmar or simply a highlight for those who land in Mandalay,” he added.
Irrawaddy dolphins are more susceptible to human conflict than most other dolphins who live farther out in the ocean. Drowning in gillnets is the main threat to them throughout their range. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists five of the seven subpopulations as critically endangered, primarily due to drowning in fish nets.
The company also expects to raise funds to protect the Dolphin by supporting local fishermen and creating more living space for the dolphins.
