Waterfalls are one of the most amazing and beautiful natural phenomena. Not many things are as exciting as watching an enormous amount of water going down at a rapid pace from a huge height. Many of these waterfalls are world-famous but some have recently been discovered and have made a huge impact on the world. Each of these beautiful waterfalls consists of many unique features and is the most amazing in the whole world.
1. Niagara Falls
Elevation : 99 m
Height : 51 m
Flow rate : 2,400 m³/s (85,000 cu ft/s)
Amongst the most beautiful waterfalls of the world, Niagara Falls is the most famous and the largest waterfall. It is a group of three waterfalls located at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, between the Canadian province of Ontario and the US state of New York. Niagara Falls started to form more than 12,000 years ago at the end of the Ice Age after the release of large torrents of water from the melting ice that drained into the Niagara River. Many people argue that which of the country provides a better view of the fall, but the truth is that the best view can only be observed from the water. The best time to visit Niagara Falls is between May and September if you want to view blue skies and a high waterfall rainbow.
2. Iguazu Falls
Elevation : 195 m
Height : 82 m
Width : 2,700 m
Flow Rate : 1,756 m3/s (62,010 cu ft/s)
“Iguazu” means “big water” in the Guarani language spoken by the people of the area. Iguazu Falls is one of the greatest and most beautiful waterfalls in the South American region. It is, like Niagara Falls, a two-country-one-landmark special, straddling the border of Argentina and Brazil. It is a combination of 275 separate waterfalls located over 2 miles. The longest drop in the Iguazu waterfalls system is 82 meters. The section which is known as Devil’s Throat provides the most amazing of the experience.
3. Yosemite Falls
Elevation : 1,647 m
Height : 739 m
Flow rate : 300 cu ft/s
Yosemite Falls is one of the most important landmarks in the American West region which can be viewed from anywhere in Yosemite Valley in California. It is actually comprised of three separate falls. The first stage is the Upper Yosemite Fall, which is said to plunge 1,430 ft and is visible from pretty much anywhere in Yosemite Valley. The second is the Middle Cascades, which tumbles down a height of 675 ft and are visible only from the top of the Upper Falls. And the Lower Yosemite Fall is said to drop 320 ft and is visible on an easy walk starting at the back of Yosemite Valley Lodge. Therefore, Yosemite Falls has a cumulative drop of 2,425 ft making it one of the highest waterfalls in Yosemite and ranked 20th in the world.
4. Langfossen Falls
Elevation : 228 m
Height : 612 m
Flow rate : 8 m3/s (280 cu ft/s)
The most amazing thing about this beautiful waterfall is that you can enjoy the experience of the waterfall from a very close range, making your enjoyment quite thrilling. It is situated in Western Norway, at the end of the Åkrafjorden, three kilometers from the tiny village of Fjæra. It originates at an altitude of 612 meters flowing out of Tjørna lake and tumbles down almost the entire length of a mountainside before spilling into the Åkrafjorden at the base of the mountain. Langfoss is the fifth highest waterfall in Norway. The World Waterfall Database declared this waterfall to be one of the “best in the world”.
5. Veliki Slap (Big Waterfall)
The Plitvice Lakes National Park is best known for its 16 cascading lakes and more than 90 waterfalls. Plitvice Lakes is located in Croatia and resembles a lot to the Grand Canyon but has a bright green-colored moss on the sides along with very pure lakes at the bottom. The highest waterfall in the Plitvice National Park is the Large (Big) Waterfall (aka Veliki slap in Croatian) – 78 meters high situated at the very end of the Lower Lakes. It is fed by the waters of Plitvica Potok river. Considered as the most beautiful one on the Lakes, this waterfall is also the highest one in the whole of Croatia
6. Helmet Falls – British Columbia, Canada
Width : 91 m
Height : 352 m
Flow rate : 1 m3/s (35 cu ft/s)
It is one of the tallest waterfalls in the Canadian region as well as one of the most significant waterfalls in British Columbia based on both height and volume. It measures up to 1,000 feet in height which is flowing as a result of Washmawapta Icefields. The waterfall drops over the edge of a hanging valley situated on the northeast face of Helmet Mountain and leaps off of a massive amphitheater-like cliff on the eastern side of the Continental Divide. It drops in at least three distinct leaps for 352 meters to the floor of the valley. The upper tier is largest, plunging between 250–300 meters into a narrow gorge where at least one leap is found. As the creek spills out of the canyon it drops over another plunging fall of 40-50 meters.
7. Hogenakkal Falls
Elevation : 700 m
Height : 20 m
Hogenakkal waterfalls are a scenic amalgamation of rocks, water and mist located on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border. Hogenakkal is formed of two Kannada words. ‘Hoge’ means smoke and ‘Kallu’ means rock. Hogenakkal essentially means smoke over the rocks. When the water falls on the rocks it appears as if hoge is emanating from the top of the kal (rock) because of the force of the water. Hogenakkal Waterfall is similar to the popular Niagara Falls in that water gushes down over huge rocks in a similar manner. That’s why it is sometimes called the ‘Niagara of India’. In places, the water falls as much as 20 m (66 ft) and is said to sound like continual thunder.
8. Rhine Falls
Height: 23 m
Width: 150 m
Elevation: 364 m (1,194 ft)
Flow Rate: 250 m3/s (8,800 cu ft/s)
Rhine Falls, Switzerland, is considered as the largest and most water-rich plain waterfall located in the European continent. This beautiful waterfall is in the Rhine River (Rhein) near the town Schaffhausen on the Swiss-German border. They were formed in the last ice age by erosion-resistant rocks narrowing the riverbed. The flow of Rhine changes throughout the year. in winter there is less water (some 250 m³/s) but in summer, as the snow and ice in Alps are melting, there is a lot more water – 600 m³/s.
9. Victoria Falls
Height: 108 m (355 ft)
Elevation: 885 m
Flow Rate: 1088 m (38,430 cu ft/s)
The awe-inspiring Victoria Falls is located over a mile at the border between Zambia to the north and Zimbabwe to the south. It measures up to twice the height and twice the depth of the great Niagara Falls. Rather than falling into a basin, the waters of Victoria Falls drop into a chasm that varies in width from 80 to 240 feet. On 16th November 1855, the British explorer David Livingstone was the first European to see the falls. He named them for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
10. Angel Falls
Elevation: 1,283 m
Height: 979 m
Flow Rate: 23,400 cu ft/s
Angel Falls is located in the Canaima National Park, the second-largest national park in Venezuela, providing a great view for the locals as well as tourists. It is located at a height of 3,212 feet, making it the highest uninterrupted waterfall in the world. It is named after the aviator Jimmie Angel who in 1937 landed his plane above Auyantepui near the falls during an effort to search for gold.
