RIVER CRUISING
FRESHWATER DOLPHINS
There are only four species worldwide, all of which all are endangered. The Yangtze species was declared extinct in 2006, while those in the Amazon and Asia face a bleak future.
Whiskas. Our nature guides were excellent, pointing out many colourful birds, including hornbills, plus our fi rst sight of a herd of wild elephants. Next day we arrived at Tezpur, our fi rst town.
And yes, a few pulses raced at the prospect of shop- ping, but there was not a touristy shop to be seen. This was a town for what local people needed, with a riveting fi sh market of differing species, from large mahseer and catfi sh to small spratty types. We moved on to moor near Kaziranga with its fabled wildlife park at Steemer Ghat, once a great wharf of trade of the Raj. It was a delightful beach mooring, beneath woods rising up through steep bluffs. It was also being enjoyed by the many fresh- water dolphins.
The Gangetic and Indus dolphins are almost
identical. There were frequent sightings on our cruise, but, unlike oceanic dolphins, they rarely
entertained us. Adults measure up to 2½m in length with long- toothed snouts. They are also sightless, swim on their sides beneath the surface and use their fl ippers like spades, stirring the mud to feed on bottom fi sh and crustaceans.
they gave us a fl ash of their long-toothed snouts. One of the highlights was on the following day – an elephant safari at daybreak through 10ft-high thickets amongst savannahs of elephant grass. Boarding was surprisingly easy. One simply climbs the staircase to a platform and awaits the mahout and elephant to pull alongside like a taxi, then stretches over a leg to slump into a surprisingly safe-feeling saddle. The hopes of seeing tiger were high, but getting close to a rhino without the need of a telephoto lens to study the tons of armour-plated grumpiness was indeed awesome and satisfying. A myriad of cultural and historic sites also rolled
T
by over the next week. There was the world’s largest river island, Majuli, with its ancient temples and rich in its Ahum history, until British rule in 1826. We also greatly enjoyed meeting its varied peoples with origins from as far as China, Mongolia, Bhu- tan, Thailand, Burma and Tibet, plus the many tribal
52 WORLD OF CRUISING I Summer 2010
hey are as shy as their ocean cousins are exuberant. They rarely leap, just letting their backs ripple the surface, but occasionally
folk and the old capital of Sivasagar, stronghold of kings of Thai stock. In Dibrugarh, spare a moment to remember the
courage of the American fl yers in WWII, who fl ew over the ‘Hump’ of the Himalayas with vital sup- plies for in unpressurised propeller cargo planes. Smile as you blush at the 10th century sensuous carvings of ‘eternal joy’ at the Madan Kamdeva temple, near Guwahati, and savour the tea tastings in the great Tea Gardens around Jorhat. But, most of all, enjoy this cruise that re-creates the life once lived by our Raj pioneering forebears.
FACT FILE Brahmaputra
Essentials & Considerations: A Visa for India is required. Insect repellent and anti-Malaria medication are also strongly advised, along with good binoculars. Take woollen clothing Nov-Mar. Mobile and email communications can be a problem.
Assam Bengal Navigation: 1 Main St, Lyddington, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 9LR; tel 01572 821121, or visit
www.assambengalnavigation.com. The 7 and 10-night cruises include all shore excursions, while they also cruise on the Hooghly River near Kolkata.
India Tourism: 7 Cork St, London, W1S 3LH; tel 020 7437 3677 or visit
www.incredibleindia.org.
Getting there: Flights are available from London to Guwahati with Air India, tel 0208 745 1000 or
www.airindia.com.
Worth reading: River Dog, by Mark Shand (Abacus, £9.99).
photos courtesy of Guy Mansell Photo Library
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