Everyone should visit Victoria Falls when traveling through South Africa. Victoria Falls, also known as “Mosi oa- Tunya” meaning “the bank that thunders,” is situated exactly halfway along the Zambezi River’s route from its source to the coast. The river then dives into a vertical ocean to gauge its complete range. Being one of the seven wonders, this powerful river produces the largest curtain of falling water on the entire planet.
Victoria Falls is a famous tourist attraction. The area has several distinctive features, which explains why people are drawn to it. The following are some of the facts about Victoria Falls, some of which may surprise you or maybe motivate you to visit the place once.
Victoria Falls – Hidden Facts
1. Hear the Thunder, Feel the Mist
Mosi- oa- tunya, which means “the smoke that thunders,” is the name for the fall in Kololo and Lozi. The name in Tonga, Shungu Namutitima, means “Boiling Water.” ‘Boiling Water’ and ‘The Smoke’ refer to the rising misty clouds from the crashing waves. This has a height limit of 400 meters. The extremely loud noise that the waterfall generates is described as thunder. People may hear thunder falling 40 km below and can see the mist from a 50 km distance.
2. World’s Heritage Site
In 1989, Victoria Falls was designated a World Heritage Site. In other words, it belongs to everyone on the planet, regardless of where they live or where the World Heritage Site is located. The governments of Zimbabwe and Zambia have discussed building a dam in the Batoka Gorge numerous times during the past 70 years.
When finished, it will become Africa’s largest hydropower dam, having been built over a ten to thirteen-year period. The water body will be long and narrow, extending up to one kilometer from the Victoria Falls plunge pool.
3. Several Gorges with 500 million Water
Being one of 7 Wonders of the World, Victoria Falls has its intricate mysteries. One of them is the several significant gorges. The Songwe Gorge, which has the name of the Songwe River, which enters from the northeast, is comprised of the First to Fifth Gorges. That is equivalent to 200 Olympic-sized swimming pools. It moves at a speed of 1088 m3/s.
4. The Not So Clear – Moonbow
A moonbow or lunar rainbow develops because of light refraction caused by the constant presence of water patches from the spray of the waterfall in the air. This moonbow shines brightest between April and July when there is a full moon and a sunny sky. The moonbow, which always appears in the air opposite the moon, is created when light reflects. The vision isn’t bright enough to stimulate the color receptors in the human eye, and for many people, the moonbow looks washed out white. The shades of a lunar rainbow can be captured in a photo with a long exposure.
The area surrounding Victoria Falls is rich in biodiversity and is home to a variety of wildlife. Elephants, buffalo, zebras, giraffes, and various antelope species roam the national parks on both the Zambian and Zimbabwean sides. Visitors can enjoy game drives, walking safaris, and river cruises to observe these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat. No wonder it is considered the best tourist destination.