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]