Desc: Tales of the Mekong: Directed by Dean Johnson, Joe Pontecorvo. Mekong is a 3,000 mile journey up the Mekong River from Southern Vietnam's lush delta to the river's source on the Tibetan plateau. It is an epic journey of discovery that spans 4 countries, more than a dozen cultures, and an array of enigmatic wildlife in the search for the myths and legends that continue to bind man and beast to this incredible river. From the legends of the whale god to the love the Vietnamese hold for the mythical giant turtles, here, we discover a wealth of wildlife once believed lost and the myth binding man and beast across this beautiful country. Our story begins 100 miles off the coast of Vietnam in the South China Sea. Dolphins, sea turtles and dugongs surround Vietnam's Con Dao archipelago. But this island paradise lives with a cruel past. Welcome to "Devils Island," a brutal prison that terrified the Vietnamese for decades. Today, Vietnam is enjoying a rebirth: a rebirth of commerce, a rebirth of animals and a rebirth of hope. We travel through the Mekong delta among Vietnam's fertile rice fields. We pass through the troubled border to Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot devastated Cambodia - murdering more than 20 percent of the population between 1975 and 1979. Now there is peace and Cambodia seeks to recreate itself as a modern country. We travel to Tonle Sap Lake - the heartbeat of Cambodia. Here on the great lake, people grow crocodiles under their homes. To all Cambodians, these crocodiles are guardians of the river; the thousands carved in stone on ancient temples a sign of protection that will come alive if man should betray the water. Further up river, a fisherman introduces us to the lore of the Irrawaddy River dolphin. This mythical creature once swam the river by the thousands. Now, only about 100 remain. Downriver, a Buddhist abbot and his monks stand guard over a colony of flying foxes, their stories bringing alive the ancient beliefs from hundreds of years ago. Next, the Mekong forms the border between Thailand and Laos. Known in antiquity as Lan Xang, land of a Million Elephants, Laos is a sparsely populated country and one of the Mekong's strongholds. We enter Laos at one of the most spectacular stretches of the river - Khone Falls. It is one of the twelve largest waterfalls in the world forming the largest inland archipelago in Asia. The Mekong Giant Catfish is the largest freshwater fish in the world. Today their numbers are critically low and instead of hunting them for food they are hunted for science. Here giant catfish measuring up to 2 meters long were once aplenty. Today they're elusive creatures, hardly ever caught by local fishermen. Further upstream, vast forests boast an array of diverse wildlife unlike other region of Southeast Asia. Scientists in Laos have discovered rich habitat for tigers, clouded leopards, fishing cats, civets, and Asiatic black bears. Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia never to be colonized. Thailand's very name means "Land of the Free." Here Buddhist monks have created a haven for Langurs from the incredible landscape and environment changes due to the last decade's economic boom.