Whale Watching Worldwide

Cambodia and Laos
Year Number of
whale
watchers
AAGR Number of
operators
Direct
expenditure
Indirect
expenditure
Total
expenditure
1991 None N/A None None None None
1994 None N/A None None None None
1998 None N/A None None None None
2008 83,000 ~78.7% 40 $651,000 $3,520,000 $4,171,000
Capital City: Phnom Penh (Cambodia); Vientiane (Laos)
Whale Watch Locations:
01: Kampi, Kratie province, Cambodia
02: Si Phan Don in Laos
The border area of Laos and Cambodia on the Mekong River is
home to Irrawaddy dolphins and a growing dolphin watching
industry. The dolphins live in a 190km long stretch of the Mekong
located in the northeast of Cambodia and the southernmost part of
Laos. Local fishermen now take tourists for short boat rides to visit
the dolphins from Si Phan Don in Laos and Kratie in Cambodia.
In Kampi, Kratie province, Cambodia, around 20 families have direct
involvement in dolphin watching by providing boat services. According to the chairman of the Cambodian
Dolphin Commission, another 30 households make and sell handicrafts to local and foreign tourists. The rest
of the community is involved in other tourism services such as selling food and drinks, accommodation and
transport. All families in this community benefit from dolphin watching and are keen to participate in
dolphin conservation.
The number of tourists watching dolphins in Kratie has increased steadily since 2002 when operations
began. The Cambodian Dolphin Commission has been tracking numbers of tourists since 2006:
Domestic tourists International tourists Total
2006 60,000 10,000 70,000
2007 65,000 12,000 77,000
2008 70,000 13,000 83,000
The money that tourists spend in this area makes a significant contribution to local people in a poor, rural
area of a developing country. The dolphins are a valuable resource, as they are the main reason that tourists
visit Kratie, according to WWF Cambodia’s Richard Zanre.
Typically, foreign tourists spend $15‐20 for a round trip bus fare, including one meal, and $5 ‐15 for a night’s
accommodation. For transport within the town and to dolphin watching sites, they spend $5. A further $5 ‐
10 is usually spent on dinner and drinks. Total expense for two days dolphin watching in Kratie is about $30‐
50.
Cambodian tourists spend about the same amount as foreigners – sometimes more, as they buy more
souvenirs than foreign backpackers. Dolphin carvings are particularly popular among Cambodian tourists,
according to the Cambodian Dolphin Commission.
124