General Information
Angel Falls is one of the world's most iconic waterfalls and is located in Venezuela. It is the world's tallest uninterrupted waterfall cascading from the flat-topped plateau, Auyán-Tepuí, also known as “Devils Mountain”, falling a total of 3,212 feet into a wide base stretching 500 feet wide.
The falls are located in Canaima National Park, and, because of the dense jungle surrounding the falls, they are best seen from the air. And despite the large volume of water that cascades over the edge, by the time it reaches the base of the waterfall, it has dissolved into a fine mist.
History
Angel Falls is named for U.S. navigator Jimmie Angel, who was the first person to fly over the falls in 1933. Although Angel was not the first person to come across the falls—there is some debate about whether that person was Walter Raleigh, Fernando de Barrio, or Felix Cardona—the waterfall was subsequently named after Jimmie Angel, because it was he who made the existence of the falls known to the rest of the world.
Jimmie Angel returned two years after his first sighting of the falls in 1933 as he continued his search for a river of gold, landing his plane atop the mountain. Upon landing, however, his plane became lodged in the muddy ground of the mountaintop, and remained there for 33 years until it was moved to the outside of the airport of Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela. After 11 days, Angel and his crew were able to arrive at the bottom of the mountain, where they told the people they came into contact with about the falls.
In 2009, President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela announced that the falls should no longer be referred to as Angel Falls, since Jimmie Angel was not the first to discover the landmark. Instead, he proposed that the falls be referred to using the indigenous name of Kerepakupai Merú, which means “waterfall of the deepest place.”
Religious and Spiritual Implications
Along with its rich history, Angel Falls also has significant religious ties to the Pemon people. Not much is known about this indigenous group, but they are native to the land of Venezuela and have strong spiritual beliefs. In addition to believing in an evil spirit, ‘Kanaima,” and the spirits of animals and plants, the Pemon believe that each human has five spirits. Once a person dies, one of their spirits continues as a ‘mawari,’ or a spirit of the dead. These mawaris are said to live atop the tepuis, which are the mountains of the region.
With a strong belief in the spiritual realm, the Pemon considers many facets of nature to have spiritual implications. However, Angel Falls is unique in that it is specifically seen to be a place of connection with the mawari; it is a place in which the world of the living and that of the spirits of the dead can come together. Some sources suggest that mawari have the ability to steal human souls. Considering this belief, many Pemons would not bother attempting to mount the tepuis for fear of encountering the mawari.
Location
Transcript: Angels Falls is located in the Canaima National Park in the Guiana Highlands of the state of Bolívar in the southeast of Venezuela. The national park is known for its plateaus and jungle, and because of the dense jungle surrounding Angel Falls is in an extremely remote and difficult area to reach by land due to the steep escarpments and it is best seen from the air, however there are ground tours accessing the falls by boat and hiking. The falls, sourced by the river Kerepacupai Merú, starts at the top of the plateau Auyán-Tepui, also known as “The Devils Mountain”, which is one of the tallest flat top mountains in Venezuela. After falling thousands of feet, the water ultimately ends up in the Churún river which is a tributary of the Carrao River, itself a tributary of the Orinoco River. The falls are located just west of the Churún river and the closest town is Canaima which is very small and remote roughly 25 miles from the falls, and the closest big city is Bolivar which is located 160 miles northwest of Angel falls.
Wet Season vs Dry Season
The summit of Angel Falls receives anywhere from 80 to 160 inches of rain per year, most of which comes during the rainy season.
On average, the Angel Falls produces 3750 gallons of water per second during the dry season, which lasts from December to April. The water volume sometimes lowers to a trickle, with the majority of the water evaporating before it reaches the bottom of the falls on the hottest days.
During the rainy season, which lasts from June to September, the average flow rate of Angel Falls is 33,000 gallons of water per second.
Tourism
Tourism accounts for 7.4% of Venezuela’s total GDP, and within this, it is no surprise that the world’s tallest waterfall is one of the highest contributing attractions of the country. Due to its rich historical and religious association, not only is Angel Falls a stunning natural wonder, but it also serves as an important representative of the nation’s history and culture. For this reason, it can be a must see for many of the tourists that enter the country.
Emphasis must be placed on the word ‘can,’ because despite being the tallest waterfall in the world, Angel Falls is not as highly visited as some might think. Although this natural wonder is an awe-inspiring beauty, it rests deep in the protected reserve of Canaima National Park, a very remote region of the Gran Sabana Forest. Having only been discovered within the last century, there are no roads or settlements anywhere near the falls other than the very small Canaima Village. This allows Angel Falls to only be seen by aircraft or canoe. Even then, these trips must be guided by private tour companies of which there are very few. Though difficult, this results in a very intimate viewing experience for each visitor without any crowds. Additionally, after a multiple hour canoeing adventure, visitors get to swim beneath the falls and see many species of the Gran Sabana wildlife.
There is no official record of how many persons visit Angel Falls each year but it is safe to say it is one of Venezuelas most iconic and popular tourist destinations.
Angel Falls during the rainy season.
Angel Falls during the dry season.
Tepuis, a flat-topped mountain often viewed by the Pemon people as a resting place for 'mawari'.
Bolivars are the local currency, and they are often needed at the local tourist shops in the Canaima Village.
An aerial view of the Canaima Village and local waterfalls.
Long and narrow canoes are used on tours to transport visitors from the Canaima Village to the bottom of Angel Falls.
Visitors can swim in a pool at the bottom of Angel Falls while looking up and seeing the entire waterfall.
Photos
WORKS CITED
All images found on Google or Adobe.
Credits:
Created with images by Alice Nerr - "Close-up of Angel Falls in mornign light" • Yaikel Dorta - "Photo of Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world, located in Venezuela" • Ross - "Majestic Angel Falls at Sunset in Verdant Venezuela's Canaima National Park with Lush Greenery and Dramatic Sky - Stunning Natural Wonder and Landscape Photography" • PhotoSpirit - "Scenic Aerial view of Angel Fall world's highest waterfall" • 和紀 神谷 - "ベネズエラのギアナ高地で、遊覧飛行機から見たエンジェルフォール" • DOUGLAS - "View of Angel falls from Carrao river, Canaima National Park, Venezuela" • Soldo76 - "Salto Angel (Angel Falls) after a rainy night, Canaima, Venezuela " • Curioso.Photography - "View from the Roraima tepui on Kukenan tepui- Venezuela"