Vaipō Waterfall Explained

Vaipo Waterfall
Location:Nuku Hiva, Marquesas
Type:Horsetail
Height:350 m / 1148 ft
Height Longest:350 m / 1148 ft
Number Drops:1
Average Flow:1 m³/s / 25 ft³/s
World Rank:199[1]

Vaipo Waterfall (also Ahuii or Ahuei) is a waterfall on the island of Nuku Hiva, in the Marquesas of French Polynesia. It is a horsetail-type waterfall with a single drop of height 1148 ft (350 m), making it the tallest waterfall in Polynesia outside of New Zealand and Hawaii.[1]

The waterfall lies in Hakaui Valley. The top of the waterfall is basalt, from which the water spouts as a single jet from its gouged channel. Before reaching the bottom of the fall, the water vaporizes into mist which coats the walls of the canyon, giving them a glossy sheen.[2]

Notes

-8.907°N -140.166°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: World's Tallest Waterfalls. World Waterfall Database. 2007-07-24.
  2. Peter Crawford, Nomads of the Wind, London: BBC Books, 1993, p. 162-163