The mighty Mekong River has enchanted explorers, inspired travellers and beguiled traders for centuries. From its source high in the mountains of Tibet, it flows through six countries, snaking its way through the heart of Southeast Asia for 4,880 kilometres before its journey ends in the fertile delta of Vietnam.
Home to two critically endangered species – the giant catfish, which can reach three metres in length and weigh 290 kilograms, and the Irrawaddy dolphin – the Mekong surpasses the Ganges, the Nile and even the Amazon as the largest and most productive inland source of fish anywhere in the world. Its bounty provides protein, and food security, for 65 million citizens along its banks and beyond.
