The undisputed record holder for the world’s tallest waterfall is Angel Falls, known locally as Salto Ángel, located within the protected wilderness of Venezuela. This magnificent cascade plunges from a massive plateau into the jungle below. It is a testament to the raw forces of geology and hydrodynamics.
Angel Falls The Record Holder
Angel Falls achieves its towering height from the Auyán-tepui, a flat-topped mountain in Canaima National Park in the state of Bolívar. The official measured height of the falls stands at 979 meters (3,212 feet) from top to bottom. Its most dramatic feature is the single, uninterrupted freefall, which accounts for 807 meters (2,648 feet) of that total drop. The water feeding this spectacle originates from the Rio Kerepacupai Meru, a stream that courses across the tepui summit before reaching the edge. The local Pemón indigenous people honor the site with the name Kerepakupai Vená, meaning “waterfall of the deepest place.”
Understanding Vertical Drop Measurements
Defining the “tallest” waterfall requires distinguishing between total height and a single plunge, which is where Angel Falls secures its record. Total height includes the main drop plus any subsequent cascades and rapids immediately below the main feature. The 807-meter section of Angel Falls is the longest single drop on Earth, where the water momentarily loses contact with the cliff face. Other contenders, such as South Africa’s Tugela Falls (948 meters), are sometimes cited but consist of multiple separate leaps, unlike Angel Falls’ single plunge. Due to the falls’ remoteness in dense jungle, the official height was not confirmed until a 1949 expedition.
The Geological Setting of Auyán-tepui
The height of the falls is a direct result of the geology of the Auyán-tepui, the tabletop mountain from which the water descends. This landform is a tepui, a term for the isolated sandstone plateaus that characterize the Guiana Highlands. Tepuis are remnants of a vast sandstone plateau from the Roraima Formation, a geological structure estimated to be around 1.7 billion years old. Millions of years of erosion have carved away the surrounding rock, leaving these immense, sheer-sided mesas rising abruptly from the rainforest floor.
The water source is unusual, as it is not fed by a large river system but primarily by heavy rainfall accumulating on the flat summit of the Auyán-tepui. This plateau, which spans approximately 667 square kilometers, acts as a reservoir. The stream then plummets over the edge, exploiting a weakness or cleft in the quartzite rock. The extreme drop is so vast that during its descent, much of the water is atomized into a fine mist before it ever reaches the pool at the base.
Naming and Global Recognition
The falls were largely unknown to the outside world until the 1930s, when American aviator Jimmie Angel brought them to international attention. Angel, a bush pilot with a passion for prospecting, first flew over the falls in 1933 while searching for a valuable ore bed. He cemented his connection to the site four years later in 1937, when he crash-landed his Flamingo monoplane atop the Auyán-tepui with his companions. The 11-day trek back to civilization made headlines, and the waterfall was subsequently named “Angel Falls” in his honor. The region was later designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994.