There are countless examples for wonders of nature, which were “rediscovered” by the “white man”, to be named after a sovereign or other members of nobility, as he is usually a member of a hierarchal culture. The Vic falls were dedicated to Queen Victoria of England by Sir David Livingstone on November 16, 1855. The Kololos (as is the case with most cultures in Southern Africa) opted for a more descriptive name for the waterfalls – “Mosi-oa-Tunya”, the smoke that thunders - an apt term for the largest uniform mass of falling water on this globe. After the mighty Zambezi River has flown peacefully from its source 1400 km upriver in north-east Zambia, it propels itself over a precipice of up to 108 meters in height to continue on turbulently through a maze of narrow gorges, which were - in geological terms - the predecessors of the current falls. Because the water levels of the Zambezi vary given the rain season, the highest levels are from March to May and in November the eastern segment of the falls is dry, making it possible to follow the footsteps of Sir David Livingstone from the Zambian side of the falls to Livingstone Island.
The Victoria Waterfalls, which have a total length of 1688 meters, can be subdivided into 4 segments from west to east:
Devil’s Cataract: This is the “smallest” waterfall with a height of 62 meters but it flows permanently!
Main Falls: This segment is 830 meters wide and flows permanently. The eastern continuation of the Horseshoe Falls are the Rainbow Falls.
Rainbow Falls: This part of the falls reaches a height of 108 meters at the Greatest Falls, which is also the original river-bed of the Zambezi. The amount of spray (or smoke that thunders) is less than at the Main Falls - so less inundation!
Eastern Cataract: This is the “Zambian” segment of the falls and it collects the water masses before they force themselves through a narrow gap.
On the Zambian side it is possible to experience the waterfalls starting from the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park along the steep grade of the “Knife Edge” up to the “Boiling Pot” and along the Victoria Falls Bridge Trails with their impressive panoramas of the Zimbabwean section of the waterfalls.
Take care during the months of high water levels (March to May) as the paths may be slippery and camera equipment may get wet!
