Angel Falls (Kerepakupai merú)

Angel Falls (indigenous name: Kerepakupai merú)

is the world's highest free-falling waterfall at 979 m (3,212 ft), with a clear drop of 807 m (2,468 ft). It is located in the Canaima National Park, in the Gran Sabana region of Bolivar State, Venezuela.

The height of the falls is so great that before getting anywhere near the ground, the water is buffeted by the strong winds and turned into mist.

The base of the falls feeds into the Kerep river (alternately known as the Rio Gauya) which flows into the Churun River, a tributary of the Carrao River. In the indigenous Pemon language Angel Falls is called Kerepakupai merú meaning "waterfall of the deepest place".
                                                                     Canaima National Park

The falls were sighted in 1912 by the Venezuelan explorer Ernesto Sanchez La Cruz, but he did not publicize his discovery. They were not known to the outside world until the American aviator James "Jimmie" Angel flew over them on 16 November 1933 on a flight while he was searching for a valuable ore bed.

Returning on 9 October 1937, Angel tried to land his Flamingo monoplane "El Rio Caroni" atop Auyan-tepui but the plane was damaged when the wheels sunk into the marshy ground and he and his three companions, including his wife Marie, were forced to descend the tepui on foot. It took them 11 days to make their way back to civilization but news of their adventure spread and the waterfall was named "Angel Falls" in his honour. 

베네수엘라 남동부 볼리바르주 동쪽 카나미아 국립공원 내의 앙헬폭포(Angel Falls)입니다.

979m의 세계 최고의 높이이고, 막힘없이 떨어지는 높이도 무려 807m라고 합니다.
나이아가라 폭포의 15배, 엠파이어 스테이트 빌딩의 2.5배 높이라고 하는데...

미개척 지역에 있어 보통 비행기를 타고 접근하며, 물이 떨어지는데까지 14초나 걸린다고 합니다.
낙차가 매우 커서 유수량이 적은 시기에는 물이 맨 아래까지 떨어지지 못하고 도중에 안개가 되어 날아간다고 하네요.