Boaruka is the Tonga word for "divider of waters". The Devil's Cataract is the weakest point in the geological composition of this waterfall system. Here, the Zambezi has cut a 10-metre-deep nick in the hard basalt and, as the nick is eroded away, more and more water will be channelled through it away from the rest of the Falls.
At some point in the future - it could be sometime in the next 20000 years - Devil's Cataract will cut back into one of the east-west joints that are filled with softer material. This may happen slowly over time, or could happen catastrophically if part or all of Boaruka Island should collapse into the gorge below.
Rainforest Birds
The tall trees and dense, moist vegetation of the rain forest are an ideal habitat for certain bird species. Among the birds the visitor may see are the trumpeter hornbill, which has a distinctive, screeching call, the African paradise-flycatcher, which is in full breeding plumage during the wet season, and the cheerily orchestral white-browed robin-chat (Heuglin's robin).
Victoria Falls Eastern Cataract with Devil's Cataract in the distance. Zimbabwe on the right and Zambia to the left. During the dry season, ...
Mosi-oa-Tunya Park is a protected area on the Zambian side of the river. Covering only 66km2, it is the smallest national park in Zambia but...