Horizontal Falls
Western Australia · Natural Wonder

Horizontal Falls

Garaanngaddim

One of the Greatest Natural Wonders of the World

On the lands of the Dambimangari people.

sunny Best in April to October
schedule Full day
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Best for Adventure Photographers

schedule 3 min read / Updated Apr 2026

Not actually a waterfall at all, but an extreme tidal phenomenon where the world's largest tides push massive volumes of water through two narrow sea gorges in Talbot Bay, creating temporary horizontal cascades that can reach four metres in height. David Attenborough has called it one of the greatest natural wonders of the world.

Horizontal Falls, known to the Dambeemangardee people as Garaanngaddim, sit inside Talbot Bay in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, around 250 kilometres north-east of Broome. The phenomenon occurs in two parallel gaps in the McLarty Ranges that separate three sections of the bay. As the tide rushes in or out, the gaps are too narrow to carry the full volume of water, so a significant head difference builds up between one side and the other. Water pours through the gaps like a waterfall lying on its side.

The Kimberley tides are among the largest on earth, regularly exceeding 10 metres on spring tides and occasionally approaching 12 metres. That is roughly the same as the maximum tides at the Bay of Fundy in Canada. Twice a day, this immense volume of water has to squeeze through the Horizontal Falls gaps, and the resulting difference in water levels creates the horizontal cascade. At peak flow the difference can reach four metres, and the water can roar through at a speed of up to 13 knots.

The outer gap is roughly 20 metres wide and the inner gap is barely 10 metres wide. Boats passing through the outer gap are a standard activity for visitors, and the experience is comparable to riding a mild-to-moderate whitewater rapid. In 2022 the Western Australian government announced that boat passage through the gaps would be banned from 2028 on safety grounds after a serious accident, so visitors from 2028 onwards will view the falls from outside rather than ride through them.

The Dambeemangardee people are the traditional owners of Talbot Bay and the wider surrounding country. Their Dreaming stories about the falls speak to the power and danger of the tides and the cycle of water through the Kimberley country. The local Aboriginal corporation has been a strong voice in managing visitor access to the site and has called for protection of the surrounding sea country under indigenous co-management.

Visitors reach the falls almost exclusively by seaplane or helicopter from Broome or from Derby. The standard day tour leaves Broome by seaplane (around 45 minutes each way), lands in Talbot Bay next to the pontoon, and includes a boat ride, a swim in a shark cage, a fresh barramundi lunch and time to see the surrounding sandstone islands. Longer overnight tours include a second tide cycle at sunset or sunrise, when the light on the red Kimberley sandstone is at its most spectacular.

Broome, the main gateway, sits at the western edge of the Kimberley and has direct flights from Perth, Darwin, Sydney and Melbourne. The town itself is worth a day or two for its pearling history, its Town Beach dinosaur footprints, and Cable Beach at sunset with its camel trains. Derby, further north along the coast, is a smaller and more rugged alternative base but has fewer tourism services.

Horizontal Falls is accessible only in the dry season, roughly April to October. The wet season brings cyclones and the boat operators suspend operations. The best months are May, June and July, when the weather is cool and stable, and the seas are at their calmest. Spring tides during this period produce the most dramatic falls, and operators time departures to coincide with peak flow.

Common questions

Things visitors ask about Horizontal Falls.

Quick answers to help you plan.

Where exactly are the Horizontal Falls?

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The Horizontal Falls, known as Garaan-ngaddim to the Dambeemangardee Traditional Owners, are in Talbot Bay within the Buccaneer Archipelago, off the Kimberley coast in Western Australia. They sit roughly 50 km north of Derby and around 250 km north-east of Broome, and form part of the Lalang-gaddam Marine Park. There is no road access, so the falls can only be reached by air or sea.

What actually causes the "horizontal" waterfalls?

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The Kimberley has some of the largest tropical tides on Earth, with a tidal range of up to about 10 metres in Talbot Bay. As the tide changes, huge volumes of seawater are forced through two narrow gorges in the McLarty Range faster than they can equalise on the other side. The water piles up against the gap and pours through sideways, creating waterfall-like rapids that reverse direction with every tide.

How wide are the two gates the water rushes through?

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There are two openings carved through the McLarty Range. The seaward gate is roughly 20 to 25 metres wide, and the inner gate behind it is much narrower at around 10 to 12 metres. The smaller second gate is where the height difference between the two sides is most dramatic, and it is the one boat operators historically charged through.

How do you actually get to Horizontal Falls?

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There is no road or walking access, so every visit involves a flight, a boat, or both. Most travellers fly in by seaplane or fixed-wing aircraft from Broome (about 1 hour 15 minutes each way) or from Derby (about 40 minutes each way). Multi-day expedition cruises along the Kimberley coast also call into Talbot Bay as part of their itinerary.

How much does a seaplane day trip from Broome cost?

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Half-day seaplane tours from Broome typically start from around $1,295 per person, with full-day combinations that include the Dampier Peninsula starting from about $1,350. Tours running out of Derby are usually a little cheaper because the flight is shorter. Prices are dynamic and change with season and demand, so always confirm direct with the operator or the Broome Visitor Centre.

Can you still ride a boat through the falls?

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Most jet boat thrill rides through the gates are being phased out under a 2024 decision by the WA Government, working with Dambeemangardee Traditional Owners, on cultural and safety grounds. Other licensed boat operators must stop driving through the gaps by the end of 2026, and Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures has been allowed to keep running boat passages until its licence expires in 2028. After that, visits will be limited to seaplane fly-overs, scenic cruises in Talbot Bay, and cultural tours.

Is Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures still operating?

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Yes. The original Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures, now part of the Journey Beyond group, is still running half-day, full-day and overnight houseboat tours from Broome, Derby and Cygnet Bay. Their licence to operate boat passages through the falls runs until 2028, and the 2026 season is on sale.

When is the best time of year to visit?

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The dry season from April to October is by far the best window, with warm sunny days, calm seas and reliable flying weather. Most operators run from around mid-March to early November and shut down for the wet season when storms make flying and boating risky. April and May are particularly popular because the Kimberley is still green from the wet.

Whose Country are the Horizontal Falls on?

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The falls sit on the saltwater Country of the Dambeemangardee people, who know the place as Garaan-ngaddim. The surrounding Lalang-gaddam Marine Park is jointly managed by Dambeemangardee Traditional Owners and the WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. Neighbouring saltwater groups across the wider Buccaneer Archipelago and Dampier Peninsula include the Bardi, Jawi, Mayala, Nimanburr and Nyul Nyul peoples.

Why did David Attenborough call it one of the greatest natural wonders?

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Sir David Attenborough described the Horizontal Falls as "one of the greatest natural wonders of the world" because nowhere else does so much seawater move so fast through such a tight gap, twice a day, every day. The combination of the Kimberley's extreme tides, the narrow McLarty Range gorges and the remote, almost untouched marine park around them makes the phenomenon both visually spectacular and genuinely unique.

Gallery

Horizontal Falls in pictures.

9 images licensed from Wikimedia Commons

All images are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licences. Individual photographers are credited on the source pages.

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Images sourced from Wikimedia Commons under licenses that permit commercial use. If you are the rights holder and believe an attribution is incorrect, please contact us.

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