The
Falls
The falls are 1,7 kilometres wide and nearly 550
million litres of water cascade 70 to 108 metres into
the chasm below – every minute – during the Zambezi
River’s peak flow.
Victoria Falls is made of five different “falls”.
Four of these are in Zimbabwe:
The Devil’s Cataract, Main Falls, Rainbow Falls
and Horseshoe Falls –
and one, The Eastern Cataract, is in the bordering
country of Zambia |
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Devils
Cataract
The falls here are about 70 metres deep.
They derive their name from an adjacent island
in the Zambezi River where it is reported that locals
used to conduct sacrificial ceremonies.
With the advent of the missionaries, this practice
was frowned upon and considered “devilish”, resulting
in the name of the area |
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Main
Falls
The falls at this point are at their most majestic.
With a wide curtain of water thundering down
93 metres into the gorge below and peak water
flows of 700,000 cubic metres per minute,
this section throws out a magnificent spray that
continually nourishes the evergreen rainforest
around the area |
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Horseshoe
Falls
This
section is horseshoe shaped and is 95 metres
deep.
This section usually dries up at the height of the dry
season between October and November.
The falls are 108 metres deep at this point and
are the deepest of the whole series |
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Eastern
Cataract
These falls are situated completely on the Zambian
side of Victoria Falls but have a stunning view from
the Zimbabwean side.
They are the second deepest falls of the series at 101 metres deep.
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Cataract
Viewpoint
A unique view of the falls below can be found by
descending 73 steps into the gorge. |
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David
Livingstone Statue
The David Livingstone statue can be found at the
left end of the Falls near the spectacular Devil’s
Cataract viewpoint. |
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The
Rainforest
The rainforest area of Victoria Falls is filled with
many unique species of flora and fauna.
One can wander amongst the Fig, Mahogany
and Date Palm groves while gazing at the falls from
magnificent viewpoints.
Many species of birds and small mammals may be
spotted beneath the protective canopy of the forest. |
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The
Boiling Pot
This place is appropriately named to describe
the
turmoil where water from opposite sides of the falls
collide in the Zambezi River as it turns in a
southeasterly direction passing through several
gorges |
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The
Big Tree
This is a large baobab tree near the Falls.
The tree is 16 metres in diameter and 20 metres tall. |
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Victoria
Falls Bridge
designed in England, the bridge was transported from
Europe in pieces and was assembled on site, bridging
the Zambezi River and linking Zimbabwe and Zambia
in 1906.
The bridge is also renowned for its popular bungee
jumping |
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