Blue Nile Falls

Blue Nile Falls

Blue Nile Falls is situated on the Blue Nile River in the western part of Gojjam. In the Amhara language, it is known as Tis Abay, which means "water that smokes". It is located on the upper reaches of the river, about 30 kilometers downstream from the city of Bahir Dar and Lake Tana. The waterfall is one of Ethiopia's most famous tourist attractions. The falls are 42 meters high and are made up of four streams that vary in size from a trickle in the dry season to over 400 meters in width in the rainy season. Regulation of Lake Tana now somewhat limits the variability, and as of 2003, a hydroelectric power plant has diverted much of the flow from the falls during all but the rainy season. The Blue Nile waterfalls separate the ecology of Lake Tana from that of the rest of the Nile, and this isolation has contributed to the evolution of the lake's endemic wildlife. Birdwatchers should look for endemics and near-endemics in the riverine forest. Blue-Breasted Bee-Eater, White-Cheeked Turaco, Black-Winged Lovebird, Wattled Ibis and Yellow-Fronted Parrot live here. The first stone bridge in Ethiopia, built by order of Emperor Susenyos in 1626, is located a short distance downstream from the falls. Manuel de Almeida reported that lime stone had been found nearby along the Alata tributary, and an artisan who had come from India with Afonso Mendes, the Catholic Patriarch of Ethiopia, oversaw the construction.