A rare sighting of a natural phenomenon
The stunning view of the waterfall is created by the reflection of sunlight hitting the falling water at a specific angle, a rare phenomenon that can only be seen during a 2-week period towards the end of February. But not EVERY February. To capture the spectacle of this really rare event on film, photographers may have to wait years. The reason is that the falls' appearance depends on a few natural conditions all occuring simultaneously. 1st, is the volume of the waterfall. Water is formed by the melting of snow and ice at the top of the mountain. It melts during the months of December and January and by the end of February there might not be that much snow left to melt. There has to be a small but steady flow that is misting into a veil of water as it falls. 2nd, is the specific angle of the sun's rays hitting the falling water. The sun's position must be in a particular spot in the sky. This only occurs during the month of February and only during the short hours of dusk. If the day is full of clouds blocking the sun, you won't see the fire waterfall. The fact that the weather in the National Park at that time of the year is often volatile and unpredictable compounds the difficulty of getting these pictures. |