The natural phenomenon in Western Australia’s Kimberley region involving tidal rushes through gorges is the Horizontal Falls.
The Horizontal Falls form in Talbot Bay, within the Buccaneer Archipelago, where powerful tides force seawater through two narrow gorges in the McLarty Ranges. The water can resemble a waterfall turned on its side, which explains the phenomenon’s unusual name.
The two gaps are roughly 300 meters apart. One is about 10 meters wide and the other about 20 meters wide. Tidal differences in the area can reach around 10 meters, causing water to pile up on one side of the gorges and surge through the openings. The apparent falls can reach about 4 meters in height, and their direction reverses as the tide changes.
The site is also known as Horizontal Waterfalls and “the Horries.” Its Indigenous name is Garaanngaddim, and the surrounding waters are protected within the Lalang-garram / Horizontal Falls Marine Park. Unlike conventional waterfalls, the Horizontal Falls are driven by ocean tides, not a river descending over a cliff.