Irrawaddy Dolphins
"Irrawaddy Dolphins in Santubong and its surrounding river systems and astuaries."
One of the main hotspots to find irrawaddy dolphins is around Santubong. These dolphins are one of the most vulnerable dolphins in the world owing to the fact that their habitat of inshore waters coincides with areas of intensive human activity. The World Conservation Union’s 'Dolphins, Whales and Porpoises: 2002-2010 Conservation Action Plan for the World’s Cetaceans' states that the identification of “hotspots” where Irrawaddy dolphins occur in relatively high density is essential for conservation.
Sarawak is home to many species of animals not least the orang utans, proboscis monkeys and hornbills which are iconic figures which tourists worldwide come to see. Perhaps one day the Land of the Hornbills may also be famed for a unique dolphin that inhabits the waters of its coastline.
Sarawak was the first destination in Malaysia to offer commercial dolphin watching tours. These tours were launched in 1998. You can hire a boat through one of tour operators to see this special dolphin.
In 2005 approximately 1,500 people took part in dolphin watching tours in Sarawak. 90% of demand is from foreign tourists. The majority of these visited Santubong and Salak with dolphin watching.
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