Angel Falls is the world’s highest waterfall by uninterrupted drop.
It descends from Auyán-tepui in Venezuela’s Canaima National Park. The waterfall’s total height is about 979 metres, including a main uninterrupted drop of about 807 metres. Water often breaks into mist before reaching the lower cascades because of the immense distance.
The falls are named after American aviator Jimmy Angel, who flew over the area in 1933 while searching for a valuable ore bed. In 1937, Angel and several companions landed their aircraft on the summit of Auyán-tepui; the plane could not take off again, and the group descended on foot.
The waterfall’s Indigenous Pemon name is Kerepakupai Merú, commonly translated as “waterfall of the deepest place.” Canaima National Park, which contains Angel Falls, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. Seasonal rainfall strongly affects the waterfall’s flow and appearance.