Irrawaddy dolphin surfaces for air.

The Cambodian Department of Fisheries has drafted a Royal Decree for protection of Irrawaddy dolphins in the Mekong River, which includes the designation of eight protected areas, totaling 5,721 ha (22.09 sq mi), in a 190 km (120 mi) segment of the river above Kratie.[4] The establishment of community-managed deep water fish conservation zones with government support may represent the best opportunity for reducing dry-season dolphin mortality from large-meshed gillnet entanglement. Efforts to establish protected areas for dolphins are currently underway.[21] in 2005, the The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) established the Cambodian Mekong Dolphin Conservation Project with support from government and local communities. The aim is to support the survival of the remaining population through targeted conservation activities, research and education.[22]

Taken on: 10th April, 2012. Copyright: All Rights Reserved - See Chris.E's page of Flickr

Read more about Kratie

Say Kratie to any Khmer and they'll think dolphins -- in particular Mekong Irrawaddy dolphins. 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.

Dolphins aside, Kratie province is also known for its pleasing riverside scenery and pretty villages and paddy. Nearly all who choose to stay here do so in the same-named provincial capital of Kratie -- an almost charming town with enough colonial architecture and tree-lined streets to warrant getting the camera out, a bunch of welcoming guesthouses and hotels and even a bar -- quite a novelty in these parts. The surrounding villages will live up to fantasies of lush, riverside Cambodia, with green paddy and beautifully polished stilted wooden homes shaded by thick palms.

Moreso than Read our complete Kratie travel guide

More images