Located in Talbott Bay in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, the falls are created when rising sea water rushes between two narrow cliff gaps, creating a 4-metre high body of water resembling a large waterfall.
Deep in the bay are two horizontal waterfalls, named the Horizontal Falls. The Horizontal Falls were formed when water flowed through a small gap between the mountains in the McLarty Range.
Tourists speedboat across the Transverse Falls in Talbot Bay, Western Australia. Photo: Jeff Mauritzen/Design Pics Editorial/Getty Images
This waterfall is extremely attractive to Australian tourists because of the strange change in water flow that is hard to find anywhere else in the world. When the tide rises and falls, the amount of water flowing into the gap is larger than the amount of water flowing through, creating great water pressure. From there, the water flowing out will roll, creating white foam, creating a waterfall effect.
The direction of the waterfall will change with the tide. Thus, the waterfall will “reverse” about twice a day.
For decades, tourist boat tours have passed through these gaps, much to the concern of the area's Aboriginal people, who say the site is sacred.
That’s not the only reason why the boat tours remain controversial. In May 2022, a boat hit a rock, injuring passengers and prompting a major rescue operation. The incident led to calls for the tours to be stopped for safety reasons.
Although boat trips will continue, the area's long-standing Aboriginal people, with Western Australian authorities - the state where the falls are located - saying the area will be closed to tourists by 2028.
Close-up viewing is still allowed
The Western Australian Tourism Council, which represents tourism businesses in the state, has warned that a travel ban between the five-tiered falls would deter visitors and cause job losses for industry workers.
Boats are still allowed to navigate Talbot Bay after the ban, giving visitors a close-up look at the attraction. Photo: Jeff Mauritzen/Design Pics Editorial/Getty Images
Located in the Kimberley Region, 1,900 km north of the state capital Perth, Horizontal Falls is within Maiyalam, one of three marine parks established in 2022 by Aboriginal Australians and the Western Australian Tourism Council.
The main boat tour operator at Talbot Bay, Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures, will have to stop going over the falls by March 2028, and all other operators will stop by the end of 2026.
After the ban came into effect, boats were still allowed to sail Talbot Bay, giving visitors a close-up view of the falls - once called "Australia's most extraordinary natural attraction" by British naturalist David Attenborough.
WA Environment Minister Reece Whitby stressed the decision reflected the government's dual responsibility to respect culture as well as the need to protect and support WA's tourism industry.
“We want people to experience Indigenous culture as an essential, vibrant part of visiting jointly managed national and marine parks across Western Australia,” he said.
The Dambeemangaddee Aboriginal people are among the dozens of indigenous people who have lived in Western Australia for more than 50,000 years, before the first British settlement in the 19th century. Australia has a rich indigenous cultural history that dates back tens of thousands of years and has evolved over hundreds of generations.
Respect culture
The Horizontal Falls ban is intended to restore the site’s sacredness. According to local indigenous beliefs, boats sailing through these gaps will disturb Woongudd, the mystical serpent that created this wonder.
The Dambeemangaddee people still want tourists to continue to visit Ngang Falls. They believe that tourists can be fascinated by the tidal force here but must keep a polite distance.
“Respect the power of this place and our culture but also keep yourself safe,” said the Dambeemangaddee.
In preparation for the Horizontal Falls ban, the Dambeemangaddee people said they have begun creating new videos and promotional materials that will explain the site’s culture and spiritual connection to Talbot Bay. They are also creating new tours, welcoming ceremonies and a visitor management plan for the site.
Tourism in Western Australia says it will move to "culturally appropriate programming that allows visitors to experience the spectacular natural wonder of the Falls in a respectful context.
Sally Shaw, CEO of Kimberley Day Cruises, stressed that taking a boat through the falls was both dangerous and disrespectful to the culture of the Aboriginal people who lived there.
According to Ms. Shaw, we should not go over the falls for safety reasons and cultural respect./.
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