Waterfalls, sculpted by rivers traversing Earth’s gorges, stand as natural spectacles, captivating countless tourists with their awe-inspiring beauty and sheer force. However, the most massive and potent waterfalls are concealed beneath the ocean’s surface, cascading over colossal, unseen drops.

In fact, the world’s largest waterfall resides beneath the Denmark Strait, the waterway between Iceland and Greenland. Here, a series of cataracts begin at a depth of 2,000 feet and descend to approximately 10,000 feet near Greenland’s southern tip – a staggering two-mile plunge.

Forget the typical vision of cascading water and misty rainbows; the world’s tallest waterfall is a hidden giant beneath the waves. You won’t find any scenic overlooks here, as the Denmark Strait cataract is a completely submerged phenomenon. Situated in the ocean between Greenland and Iceland, this colossal waterfall stretches an incredible 100 miles (160 kilometers) wide.

Its plunge from the Greenland Sea into the Irminger Sea reaches a depth of 11,500 feet (3,505 meters), carrying approximately 175 million cubic feet (5 million cubic meters) of water every second. This volume makes it far larger than any terrestrial waterfall; Angel Falls is three times shorter, and Niagara Falls carries a mere fraction of its water volume.

The existence of such an enormous underwater waterfall is what makes the Denmark Strait cataract truly remarkable. Rather than a static body of water, the ocean is a dynamic environment where waters of varying temperatures, salinities, and therefore densities, constantly interact.

The cataract’s formation is due to the meeting of the frigid Arctic waters of the Greenland Sea with the relatively warmer waters of the Irminger Sea. The denser, colder water from the Greenland Sea, with its tightly packed molecules, sinks beneath the less dense, warmer water of the Irminger Sea, creating this massive underwater cascade.