Blue Nile Falls, Ethiopian waterfall near Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
Water plunges 138 feet (42 meters) in multiple streams that create white water formations stretching 1,310 feet (400 meters) across during rainy season, with dense spray rising above the gorge.
Portuguese Jesuit missionary Pedro Paez documented the site in 1613, marking one of the first European encounters with this formation on the upper Nile watershed.
The local name Tis Abaya means 'Smoke of Water' in Amharic, describing the mist and spray visible from surrounding viewpoints used by communities for generations.
A hydroelectric dam upstream affects water flow during dry seasons, making September through October the optimal months for maximum volume, with access arranged through Bahir Dar located 19 miles (30 kilometers) northwest.
The site has contributed to Lake Tana's ecological isolation, leading to the development of distinct fish species found nowhere else in the Nile system, including several endemic cichlid varieties.
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