At fifteen
times the height of Niagara Falls , Angel Falls is the highest in the world.
Just how tall is it? How did it get its name?
Did someone seriously BASE jump
from the top? Littered amongst the stunning images below you will find the
answers. Enjoy!
Angel Falls is the
worlds highest waterfall, with a height of 979 meters (3,212 ft) and a plunge of
807 meters (2,647 ft)
It is located in the Canaima National Park , an UNESCO World
Heritage site in the Gran Sabana region of Bolivar State , Venezuela . It is one
of the countrys top tourist destinations despite its isolated
location
Did you know the
height of the falls is so great, that before getting anywhere near the ground,
the water is atomized by the strong winds and turned into mist? The mist can be
felt a mile (1.6 km) away!
The base of the
falls feeds into the Kerep River (alternatively known as the Rio Gauya), which
flows into the Churun River , a tributary of the Carrao River
Apparently, the falls
were not known to the outside world until American aviator Jimmie Angel
flew over them on November 16, 1933 during a flight searching for a valuable ore
bed. Returning on October 9, 1937, Angel tried to land his Flamingo monoplane,
El Rio Caroni atop the mountain, but the plane was damaged when the
wheels sank into the marshy ground. He and his three companions, including his
wife Marie, were then forced to descend the mountain on foot. It took them 11
days to make their way back to civilization, but news of their adventure spread,
and the waterfall was named Angel Falls in his honor. Angels plane remained on
top of the mountaintop for 33 years before being lifted out by helicopter. It
was restored at the Aviation Museum in Maracay and now sits outdoors on the
front of the airport at Ciudad Bolvar.
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