There are many towering waterfalls around the globe, but the one that holds the title of Tallest Waterfall In The World is still Venezuela’s Angel Falls or Salto Ánge. The famous site holds two world titles: the greatest total height and the greatest uninterrupted drop. Flowing 979 m (3,212 ft), above its base, it has a dizzying single drop that measures 807 m (2,648 ft).
Where Is It Located?

Its water comes from rain that flows down through the jungle at the top of the Auyán-Tepuí or “Devils Mountain.” It then seeps deep into the ground and joins a network of tributaries that feed the river called Rio Kerepacupai Meru, from which the falls flow. The river flows through the top of the Devils mountain and juts out of the side of the cliff forming the waterfall that cascades down through the sandstone cliff’s fractures and caverns.
The cascading feature falls into a base that then flows out into the Carrao river. The latter is part of the Orinoco River system, the fourth largest river in the world, and forms part of a water system that flows out into the Atlantic Ocean.
Riverbed And Plunge Pool

The continuous pounding on the riverbed creates a deep plunge pool at the base of the waterfall where visitors come to swim. The best time to visit is in the summer when people can enjoy the warm water amidst the sound of roaring flow from the top.
History
Long before its discovery by the outside world, the majestic water feature has been known among the indigenous people who called it Kerepakupai-merú which to the Pemón natives means “waterfall of the deepest place”. According to native Pemón myths, the area surrounding Angel Falls is inhabited by demonic spirits. The Pemon Indians of Venezuela's Gran Sabana region also believed that the tepui (tabletop mountains) that the falls flow from is inhabited by gods and spirits.The tepuis are believed to be the remnants of pre-Cambrian sandstone plateaus that eroded some 180 million years ago. Many myths and legends include stories about the ancient tepuis and its famous Angel Falls.
Who is Jimmie Angel?

Four years later, he and his second wife Marie along with two other adventurers went back to the area. They had planned on landing on the top of the mountain from which the waterfall flows. But he accidentally landed his borrowed Flamingo monoplane onto 6 feet of mud. In his logbook, he wrote: “Stuck in six feet mud had to leave plane. No help to move.” Jimmie and the group spent 11 days hacking through the jungle and trekking down the mountain until they reached a small settlement.
Jimmie Angel's aircraft, El Rio Caroní, exhibited in front of Ciudad Bolívar airport. Image credit: The U.S. press picked up on the story about the world’s highest waterfall accidentally discovered by an explorer who landed his plane on Devil’s Mountain. After several more trips and expeditions around South America, Jimmie and his family returned to the US and lived in Santa Barbara, California. He died in 1956 after suffering a stroke. In 1960, his sons and widow flew over Angel Falls and scattered his ashes there.
The Venezuelan government recovered his plane, restored it, and placed it on display at the Ciudad Bolivar Airport, where it can still be seen today.
Getting To The World's Tallest Waterfall
