Victoria Falls is a spectacular 1.05 miles wide ledge cascading nearly 145 million gallons of water a half mile down into gorge 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. The Eastern Cataract is the fall that borders Zambia.
The Devil’s Cataract falls are about half a mile 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.
The Main Falls is the point where the falls are at their most majestic. With a wide curtain of water thundering down 305 feet into the gorge below and peak water flows of 24,720,266 cubic feet per minute, throwing out a magnificent spray that continually nourishes the evergreen rainforest around the area.
