14 Exciting Facts About Niagara Falls: The Breathtaking Canadian Splendour

Waterfalls are elements of fairytales and magical stories. They add a tremendous whimsical effect to scenes where vast green landscapes beautifully meet the sky on the horizon and hug the overflowing waters into a coursing river. Today, we are shedding light on one of the world’s biggest waterfalls, Niagara Falls. 

This beautiful stream of waterfalls is located in Canada. People perceive it as one of the natural wonders of our world. Niagara Falls has been around for thousands of years now. It is among the oldest waterfalls that nature has given us to enjoy its beauty. There are a lot of fascinating facts to learn about Niagara Falls that will pique your interest. 

1. Niagara Falls is Part Canadian and Part USA

The whole world knows that Niagara Falls is a renowned landmark in Canada in the city of Ontario. However, these beautiful waterfalls cascade down into the Niagara River. This river falls on the borders of the USA with Canada, which is why people tend to confuse the two locations. However, the percentage of courses in the United States is relatively slim compared to that in Canada.

2. It Goes Back to the Ice Age

Natural wonders always captivate the attention and mesmerise the beholders. That was the case with Niagara Falls; whenever people had to observe its beauty, they became hypnotised. Another fascinating fact about the waterfalls is their history. It goes back to the period of the Ice Age, which means over twelve thousand years ago. 

3. These Waterfalls Drop into the Niagara River

If you visit Niagara Falls, you will see more than one landmark in Canada. The other one here is the Niagara River, which is a renowned river that is worth visiting. It is a long river that courses over 35 miles from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. This river connects the borders of Canada and the USA, from Ontario to New York City, respectively.

4. Huge Challenges Took Place Here

Niagara Falls is more than just a beautiful scenery to behold; there is some history that took place around this region. People used to go and experience some real challenges that were too dangerous, including a barrel trip. Annie Edison Taylor was the first woman to try the barrel challenge and survive it. Many people took the fall and didn’t live to tell the story. Since the death of many adventurers, it became illegal to go over the falls, and a huge fine would be paid in case someone broke the law.

5. Fish Live in Niagara Falls

Waterfalls can be dangerous mediums for fish to survive due to the high pressure. Also, long waterfalls that flow onto rocks can kill fish. However, Niagara Falls happen to be home to many fish despite its extreme height. Many fish live in Niagara River and travel over the falls without dying, especially the smaller ones.

6. It Combines 3 Waterfalls

The waterfalls of Niagara are made of three that come together to make it this huge one. The largest one is called the Horseshoe Falls. Then comes American Falls, the second largest, and its name is based on its location, New York State. The third and most miniature waterfall is called the Bridal Veil falls. The name comes from the fact that it looks like a bride’s veil. 

7. It Is Deemed A Hydropower Source

When water flows through a tunnel or pipe, it produces electricity as it releases. This is basic science, and thanks to the intense pressure of Niagara Waterfalls, it is used for this purpose. There is a tunnel with a gate that reroute the flow of water from the fall into two reservoirs, which are large lakes, that the Niagara Power Project built. The power happens when they release water from those reservoirs. Thus, the falls of Niagara became among the hugest sources of energy. 

8. Scientists Think It Will Disappear

Waterfalls are amazing natural wonders that amaze us. However, most of them take the natural course and dry up after thousands of years. Niagara Falls is no exception, as many scientists anticipate that it will vanish after around 50,000 years from now. However, the river will still be there without the falls. Well, it is a great time to be alive and witness this marvel, and its fading away is a faraway time to worry about.

9. Looks Great At Night

Most people love visiting any popular tourist destination in the morning when the scenes are marvellous and breathtaking. However, we advise you to see the falls at night. Many lights near the falls make them look illuminated with colours, creating an eerie view that will blow your mind. It is also a great time to take fascinating photos and brag about them among your friends. 

10. The Water is Green

This sounds odd, but it is surprisingly accurate. When you take a close look at the cascading waters of Niagara Falls, you will see a vibrant green colour. This colour comes from finely ground rocks, known as rock flour. They are a type of mineral and flow in a massive amounts into the river and the falls. Their colour creates a hue, changing the clear water into a delicate green colour that looks mesmerising. 

11. The Falls Are Used For Different Purposes

Waterfalls can serve many purposes; however, the grandness of Niagara Falls makes it possible to perform more than a few objectives. Besides, a huge population from two different countries uses it. People use the waterfalls for fishing, generating electricity, drinking water, swimming, boating, and cooling water supply. 

12. Native Americans Discovered the Falls

The first people to ever discover the existence of the wondrous falls were Native Americans who settled near the region. It was an ancient tribe called “Onguiaahra,” which means “the sound of thunder” or “thundering noise”. Native Americans called it that way because the waterfalls create a loud sound due to the pressure and hitting bottom. Onguiaahra Is also the word from which the name “Niagara” was believed to stem.

13. Niagara Falls Once Stopped

Although it has been flowing for years and centuries, the beautiful waterfalls once stopped. This happened in 1848 when Lake Erie slipped some vast ice fields that sat where the river started and blocked the flow. The blockage remained for 30 hours until the direction of the wind changed and swept the ice fields out of the way. 

14. Tightrope Walkings Happened Here

Niagara Falls seems to be an enthralling platform for great adventures. Somehow, people get the need to venture into something dangerous when they are around these waterfalls. Among the hazardous activities that happened over the falls was tightrope walking. That menacing dare was first started by Charles Blondin, who walked across the falls with thousands of watchers observing in awe.  

Niagara Falls is a muse to look at and a marvellous scenery to snap pictures of and braggingly post on your social media. Learning these fun facts and the stories surrounding this landmark makes it even more enjoyable. 

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