Salto Angel waterfall, Canaima

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

Sir Walter Raleigh is sometimes said to have discovered Angel Falls, but these claims are considered "far-fetched". They were spotted in 1912 by the Venezuelan explorer Ernesto Sanchez La Cruz, but he did not publicize his discovery.

Angel comes from the name of Jimmie Angel. He was a US aviator who flew over them on 16 November 1933, while he was searching for a valuable ore bed.

Returning on October 9, 1937, Angel tried to land his Flamingo monoplane atop Auyan-tepui, but the plane was damaged when the wheels sunk into the marshy ground. He and his 3 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.

Angel’s plane remained on top of the tepui for 33 years before being lifted out by helicopter. It was restored at the Aviation Museum in Maracay and now sits outdoors on the front of the airport at Ciudad Bolívar.