Where Is the World’s Highest Waterfall?
Where Is the World’s Highest Waterfall? Where Does the Water Come from for It? The world’s highest waterfall is in Venezuela, South America. It is known as the Angel Falls and lies on the River Carrao. The falls are a tributary of the Carrao River, itself part of venezuela’s Orinoco river system. Considered among the world’s most dazzling natural wonders, Angel Falls are a truly unforgettable spectacle.
Located in Canaima National Park, the second largest national park in Venezuela, the waterfall tumbles from a cleft near the summit of table top mountain Auyán-tepu “Auyantepuy” into what is known as Devil’s Canyon, 3212 feet (979m) below from the Churum river hovering of the edge of the Auyán-tepu “Auyantepuy” Table mountain, this the largest Tepuy (table mountain) in Canaima Venezuela.
This height makes it the highest waterfall in the world. This magnificent waterfall tumbles 3,212 feet down to the river. Angel Falls is 15 times higher than Niagara Falls with its total of approximately 52 meters. However, Angel Falls is only the tallest waterfall on land. Technically, the largest known waterfall lies underwater, between Greenland and Iceland.
The Venezuelans did not even know about Angel Falls or the surrounding country until the 1930’s, because steep rocks made overland travel to the region impossible. It was not until aircraft started penetrating the region that the falls were discovered. The falls get their name from the United States adventurer and explorer Jimmy Angel (James Crawford Angel) who crashed near them in an airplane in 1937.
He saw the waterfall for the first time in 1933 with his partner while searching for the legendary McCracken River of Gold, or the Golden City. James returned again in 1937 with his wife and his friend Gustavo Henry Gardener where they had an emergency landing on top of the Auyantepuy. The aircraft was able to reach safely to the top of the Tepuy and stayed there for 33 years until it was taken down by a helicopter.
Jimmy Angel and his three companions managed to descend from Tepuy and return to the civilization walking through the jungle for 11 days. Angel’s plane is currently in the Aviation Museum in Maracay, and nowadays on top of the Auyantepuy you will find a replica of Jimmys airplane. In this gift of God to the nature you will find interesting plants and animals, sometimes endemic (unique in the world), also the Native Pemón, people with a culture, art, folklore and ancient cuisine.