The Mosi-oa-tunya Falls also known as the Victoria Falls is situated in the Southern African countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Mosi-oa-Tunya which means the "SMOKE THAT THUNDERS" is the name used by the indigenous people from generations before. When David Livingstone, a British missionary came from Scotland and was shown this awesome and breath-taking sight on 17th November, 1855, he named it in honor of Queen Victoria.
His words were,
"...No one can imagine the beauty of the view from anything witnessed in England.
It had never been seen before European eyes;
but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight..."
The Mosi-oa-Tunya forms the largest sheet of falling water in the world. It spans a width of 1.7 kms (1 mile) and has a drop of 108 meters (360 ft). The falls has been named one of the seven natural wonders of the world and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Naturally endowed with a variety of wildlife in it's surroundings, the Mosi-oa-Tunya provides a spectacular face on view as the whole might Zambezi River plummets over the falls into a deep narrow chasm linked to a long series of gorges.
There are two national parks where a plethora of game can be viewed. The Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park is in Zambia while the Victoria Falls National Park is in Zimbabwe.
THE FALLS IN FULL SPLENDOUR - FEBRUARY TO MAY
During the months of February to May when the Zambezi Basin above the falls experiences the rainy season, the full splendour of the falls can be seen. The spray from the Mosi-oa-Tunya rises to over a height of 400 meters (1,300 ft). The spray can be seen from up to 50 kms (30 miles) away. An unusual sight of a lunar rainbow can be seen at full moon.
Zambia's Knife-edge Bridge, close the edge of the cliff is literally showered with spray and mist from the mighty "Smoke That Thunders". It is a time that visitors to the falls get drenched as they make their way across the Knife-Edge Bridge. For those who do not take to kindly to drenching, rain coats are advised. However, for the water lovers, the drenching from the "Smoke That Thunders" will be an experience hard to forget.
THE GLORY OF THE ROCKS - SEPTEMBER TO JANUARY
During the dry season which is from September to January, the Mosi-oa-Tunya takes on a different look. It lays it's soul bare as it's clothing of the mighty Zambezi River has greatly diminished in flow. It is at this time that one gets to see what the rock formation is really like. No longer hidden by the falling waters, visitors can admire this natural wonder, look down at it's foot and for the courageous, wall across the cliff of this awesome falls.
SOME FIGURES & FACTS
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LOCATION:
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ZAMBIA AND ZIMBABWE
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CO-ORDINATES:
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17°55'28" S 25°51' 24" E / -17.92444, 25.85667
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TOTAL SPAN:
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1.7 KMs (1 mile)
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TOTAL HEIGHT:
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108 m (360 ft)
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NUMBER OF DROPS:
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1
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AVERAGE FLOW RATE:
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1088 m³/s (38,430 cu ft/s)
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GORGES:
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First Gorge: the one the river falls into at Victoria Falls
Second Gorge: (spanned by the Victoria Falls Bridge), 250 m south of falls, 2.15 km long (270 yd south, 2350 yd long)
Third Gorge: 600 m south, 1.95 km long (650 yd south, 2100 yd long)
Fourth Gorge: 1.15 km south, 2.25 km long (1256 yd south, 2460 yd long)
Fifth Gorge: 2.55 km south, 3.2 km long (1.5 mi south, 2 mi long)
Songwe Gorge: 5.3 km south, 3.3 km long, (3.3 mi south, 2 mi long)
Batoka Gorge: (which is also used as an umbrella name for all the gorges). It is about 120 km (75 mi) long
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More Information of the Mosi-oa-Tunya Falls From Wikipedia
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