One of Australia’s most peculiar natural attractions is the Horizontal Falls, a rare fusion of rugged coastal terrain and strong tidal forces that draws crowds willing to pay a high price to witness up close. But things are about to change soon.
The falls are formed when ocean surges rush between two small cliff breaches, creating a swell of up to four meters that resembles a waterfall. Talbot Bay is an isolated location on the country’s northwest shore.
To the dismay of the Indigenous Traditional Owners of the area, who claim the place is sacred, tourists have been piercing these gaps on strong boats for decades. The boat cruises are contentious for other reasons as well. One boat struck the rocks in May 2022, injuring passengers and necessitating a large-scale rescue effort. Calls to halt the excursions for safety grounds resulted after the event.
Despite the fact that the boat trips have persisted, Western Australia, the state where the falls are located, has responded to the concerns of the Indigenous Traditional Owners by announcing that, out of respect, they will be prohibited in 2028. Views up close are still allowed. The change has not pleased everyone. It will discourage tourists and result in significant employment losses, according to the WA Tourism Council, which advocates for the state’s tourism industry.
Horizontal Falls Present A Conflict With The Inhabitants
The Dambeemangaddee people, who have lived in this region for 56,000 years and feel that boats defile the falls, have welcomed it anyway. Situated in the Kimberley Region, 1,900 kilometers (1,180 miles) north of Perth, the state capital, the Horizontal Falls are part of Maiyalam, one of three protected marine parks established in 2022 that Traditional Owners and the Western Australian government co-designed and are currently co-managing.
The Western Australian government’s action is in response to criticism regarding its dedication to safeguarding Indigenous sites in a mining-heavy state. All other boat tour companies in Talbot Bay will stop offering boat tours by the end of 2026. Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures, the primary operator, will stop flying over the falls in March 2028.
Boats will still be able to cruise Talbot Bay after the ban goes into force, giving visitors a close-up view of what British naturalist David Attenborough has called “Australia’s most unusual natural attraction.”In a statement, WA Environment Minister Reece Whitby said, “This decision shows that the government has two duties: to respect the cultural views of Traditional Owners and to protect and support WA’s tourism industry.” “We want people to experience Indigenous culture as an important and exciting part of visiting Western Australia’s jointly managed national and marine parks.”
The Dambeemangaddee are one of many Indigenous groups that lived in Western Australia (WA) for more than 50,000 years before the British came and took it over violently in the 1780s. Then, a huge amount of land that was owned by Indigenous people was taken or damaged.
Honor The Power Of This Place
The goal of the Horizontal Falls ban is to make this place holy again. Indigenous people in the area believe that boats that go through these gaps bother Woongudd, the magical snake who made this wonder.
Woongudd’s story is in the Dreamtime, which is an old collection of stories and rules that have shaped Australian Aboriginal society. People say that Woongudd glides between the rocks and makes the water rush over the falls. Since the 1990s, Traditional Owners have said they are worried that boat tours are hurting this “powerful, sacred place,” the Dambeemangaddee said in response to the ban.
“This journey has been hard on our emotions for many of us,” they wrote. “This choice makes us feel like we were finally heard.” They lived there all year, and we can still feel their presence. It’s a peaceful spot. But it might be unsafe. According to their culture, Traditional Owners would only go through the gaps in the cliffs for a specific reason and always at the right time.
The Dambeemangaddee made it clear that they want people to keep coming to see the Horizontal Falls. People there think that guests can be amazed by the tides while still being polite. They told visitors, “Respect the power of this place and our cultural obligations to care for the Country and keep you safe.” They were talking about their ancient role as guardians of Australia’s landscape.
Before the Horizontal Falls ban, the Dambeemangaddee said they started making new movies and brochures that will talk about their spiritual and cultural ties to Talbot Bay. They are also making new tours, events to welcome visitors, and a plan for how to handle visitors to the area.
Fewer people will come, critics say, because of the ban. In a statement, Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures said it would switch to a “culturally appropriate program that will allow visitors to experience the spectacular natural wonder of the Horizontal Falls in a respectful context.”
The Perspective Of The Authorities
Tourism Council WA CEO Evan Hall spoke out against the fall boat ban. He said that people had been coming to the Kimberley for a long time to do this activity. A ban on it, he said, would hurt 15 tourist businesses and take away about 58 full-time jobs in the area.
The falls give visitors a chance to feel the awesome nature of this one-of-a-kind place, Hall said in a statement earlier this month. “You can’t watch it from the sidelines and understand it.” The land and water in national parks are public and belong to everyone. The law says that National Parks should encourage and make it easier for nature-based tourism and public leisure. Limiting visitor access does not help with this goal.
However, Sally Shaw, CEO of Kimberley Day Cruise, backed the ban. She told CNN that her company’s Horizontal Falls tours only go close to the cliff gaps and not between them. She says that drilling holes in the falls is dangerous and shows disrespect to the falls’ Traditional Owners.
Shaw said, “We don’t cross the falls for safety and cultural reasons, and our tour has never done this.” “Most of the people who go on these tours know about different cultures and know that the future is a safe national treasure that we can all enjoy.”
