First Malaysian dolphin watching tour

Sarawak has emerged as the first destination in Malaysia that offers dolphin-watching tours, focusing on the Irrawaddy dolphins frequently sighted in the Santubong and Salak river estuaries near here.According to the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) newsletter "Hornbill Trail", the state was one of the best places in Southeast Asia to watch these dolphins native to tropical and sub-tropical waters."During the dry season from March to October, Irrawaddy dolphins are frequently sighted in the Santubong and Salak river estuaries just 45 minutes from the State capital of Kuching," the newsletter said in its latest publication.

They usually swim in small groups of two to six but larger groups of up to 15 had been spotted at the Salak estuary.Though Sarawak was the marine tourism pioneer, being the first to launch commercial dolphin-watching tours in 1998, with its extensive network of national parks, Sarawak is fast gaining reputation as one of the country's premier eco-tourism destinations on land.Apart from dolphin-watching, other activities include mangrove cruises that offer tourists the chance to see proboscis monkeys and crocodiles as well as a tour to the new Kuching Wetlands National Park, Sarawak's first Ramsar Site.