Even the usual course of the river catches the eye. What can we say about the power of the waterfalls, especially when they are objects of the Guinness Book of Records and the UNESCO list.
The waterfall is one of the most beautiful and mesmerizing natural wonders of the world. This phenomenon attracts attention for long hours. There are about 35-40 giant waterfalls in the world. Most of them are impossible to get close to, and you can enjoy the beauty either from an aircraft or from afar. And all tourists agree that it is difficult to find a more majestic picture.
Victoria Falls (South Africa)
One of the most famous waterfalls that conquered the world is Victoria Falls. For its uniqueness and inimitable beauty, it was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
"Thundering smoke" or "Mosi-oa-Tunya" - this is how the locals called one of the largest waterfalls on earth. When falling from a 120-meter height (this is the highest point), the water emits a very loud roar, the audibility of which spreads over the area up to 25-30 km from the place. Due to the strong force of the water hitting the rocks, creating a dense, difficult-to-pass fog that covers the entire foot of Victoria.
This wonder of the world was discovered by the explorer and African traveler David Livingstone in 1855.
It is at the Victoria Falls that you can observe the rarest phenomenon - Lunar rainbows. At night, due to the decomposition of moonlight into the component parts of the sector of light rays, a rainbow appears. This phenomenon can be observed only a couple of times a year: with a full moon and when the Zambezi river is more full-flowing than during normal times.
Niagara Falls (USA - Canada)
Niagara Falls has two parts, one is located on the border of New York State, and the other in Canada. Millions of tourists flock annually to the province of Canada, from where the most advantageous vantage point opens to enjoy the spectacular spectacle.
Niagara Falls is located on the river. Due to the volume of water passing through it, it is considered the most powerful in North America.
- The local authorities have built several power plants under the waterfall and are successfully using the energy it generates.
- The waterfall is about 6,000 years old and is considered very young by geological standards.
- In 1848 and 1912 Niagara Falls was completely frozen, these cases were officially documented, after 1912 such cases were not noticed.
- In 2012, the famous American tightrope walker Nick Wallenda walked 550 meters on a stretched cable over the waterfall. One rope was anchored on the American coast, and the other on the Canadian one at a height of 50 meters. It took him a little more than half an hour to complete the path. For 128 years, there was a law prohibiting crossing the falls in such a dangerous way, but the authorities on both sides made concessions for the sake of such a spectacle.
Angel (Venezuela)
Angel is the tallest waterfall in the world, since 1994, together with the Knaim Park, is included in the UNESCO heritage lists.
The waterfall is located on the territory of the National Park in a tropical picturesque forest with wild and unique nature. The park area is protected by the state. There are no adjacent roads to it. You can only get there by rafting down the river or by renting a private helicopter.
Fog spreads around the waterfall for 1-2 km, since the height of the water fall is so great that, when it reaches the ground, it splits into granules comparable to "dust". The spectacle of falling water from almost a kilometer-long cliff will not leave any tourist indifferent.
Tugela Falls (South Africa)
The waterfall is located in the Natal National Park in South Africa and is the second highest in the world after Angel. The water descends from top to bottom in a thin stream and consists of 5 cascades. The waterfall is perfectly visible after a heavy pouring rain or at sunset, when the sun favorably illuminates the ribbon of water. One of the most beautiful spectacles is the complete freezing of Tugela: a huge ice stream is striking in its scale.
- Tugela in translation from Zulu means "sudden". This is due to the fact that during the season the flow of water pressure increases dramatically many times over;
- A Czech scientific expeditionary group in 2016, using new measurement methods, found that the height of the waterfall is 983m. And this, by the way, is 4m more than Angel. But there were no additional confirmations and changes to the Book of Records and UNESCO lists.
Dettifoss (Iceland)
Dettifos is located in the northeastern part of Iceland (the Jekulsau-au-Fjedlum river) and is considered the most powerful in terms of the flow of water falling through rocky rapids in all of Europe. Around the waterfall, an arid environment reigns, only desert plains and dunes with black sands and large dark rocks covered with tons of black stones.
The place is very specific and looks more like a scene from the planet of a science fiction film. The only small green heel is located opposite the waterfall, due to the moist soil there formed a small slope covered with grass.
- Standing near the waterfall, you can feel tremors under your feet, and the noise coming from the canyon can deafen a person for a while;
- An unusual phenomenon, especially for the rivers of Iceland, is the color of the water, it is brown-brown at the waterfall;
- In Ridley Scott's film Prometheus, Dettifoss was shown as one of the landscapes of prehistoric Earth. It was here, according to the film, that the life of the planet was born.
- Despite the power of the waterfall, local authorities do not use its energy in power plants, since it is located in the territory of the National Park.
