The Horizontal Falls are one of Australia’s strangest natural attractions. It’s a rare mix of rugged coastal terrain and strong tides that attracts large groups of people willing to pay big to see it up close. But soon everything will be different.
Sea waves crash between two small cracks in the cliffs, creating a wave that looks like a waterfall and can reach up to four meters high. Talbot Bay is a remote location on the country’s northwest coast. The area’s indigenous traditional owners are upset because they say the land is sacred. Tourists have been sailing through these holes in powerful boats for decades.
There are other problems with the boat rides too. In May 2022, a boat crashed into the rocks, injuring people and necessitating a large-scale rescue operation. After the event there were calls to cancel the rides for safety reasons.
Although the boat trips have continued, Western Australia, the state where the falls are located, has responded to the concerns of Indigenous traditional owners and said they will not be allowed in 2028 out of respect.
You can still see things up close. Not everyone likes the change. The WA Tourism Council, which represents the state’s tourism industry, says this will make people less likely to visit and lead to numerous job losses.
Residents have been respectful of Horizontal Falls
The Dambeemangaddee people have lived in this area for 56,000 years and believe that boats pollute the falls. However, they accepted the boats anyway. Location: The Horizontal Falls are located in the Kimberley region, 1,900 kilometers (1,180 miles) north of Perth, the state capital. They are part of Maiyalam, one of three protected marine parks established in 2022 with the help of traditional owners and the Western Australian Government.
The Western Australian government took action in response to complaints about its commitment to protecting Indigenous sites in a mining-heavy state. By the end of 2026, no other boat tour company will be offering trips in Talbot Bay. The main company, Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures, will no longer fly over the falls after March 2028.
No matter what happens, boats can still sail through Talbot Bay. This will allow people to get a close look at what British naturalist David Attenborough has called “Australia’s most unusual natural attraction”. WA Environment Minister Reece Whitby said in a statement: “This decision shows the government has two responsibilities: 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.” There were many indigenous groups that lived in Western Australia (WA) for more than 50,000 years before the British came and forcibly took over in the 1780s. The Dambeemangaddee was one of them. Then a large amount of land belonging to Native Americans was taken or destroyed.
Honor the power of this place
By banning Horizontal Falls, this place will be sacred again. The indigenous people of the area believe that boats passing through these gaps disturb Woongudd, the magical serpent that created this amazing sight.
Woongudd’s story is found in the Dreamtime, an ancient book containing stories and rules that shaped Aboriginal life in Australia. It is said that Woongudd moves the water over the falls by sliding between the rocks. Boat tours are damaging this “powerful, sacred place,” Dambeemangaddee said in response to the ban. This is something traditional owners have been saying since the 1990s.
“This journey has been hard on our emotions for many of us,” they said. “This election makes us feel like we are finally being heard.” They lived there for a whole year and we can still feel their presence. It’s a quiet place. But it could be dangerous. In their society, traditional owners would only go through the cracks in the rock at the right time and for a reason.
The Dambeemangaddee made it clear that they want people to continue visiting Horizontal Falls. There, people believe that visitors can be polite and still be in awe of the tides. They advised tourists to “respect the power of this place and our cultural obligations to care for the land and ensure your safety.” They discussed their historic role as Australia’s conservationists.
The Dambeemangaddee said they had begun producing new films and pamphlets discussing their cultural and spiritual connections to Talbot Bay before the ban on Horizontal Falls. In addition, they are developing new tours, welcome activities and a strategy for dealing with tourists in the region.
Opponents say the ban will lead to fewer people taking part. Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures said in a statement that it will move to “culturally appropriate programming that allows visitors to experience the spectacular natural wonder of Horizontal Falls in a respectful context.”
What the authorities say about it
Tourism Council WA CEO Evan Hall expressed his opposition to the autumn boating restriction. According to him, people have been practicing this activity in Kimberley for a very long time. He said a ban would harm fifteen tourism businesses and eliminate about fifty-eight full-time jobs in the region.
As Hall noted in a statement earlier this month, the falls allow visitors to experience the unique and amazing quality of this one-of-a-kind place. “It’s not something you can watch and understand from the sidelines.” Everyone has access to and ownership of land and water in national parks. According to the law, national parks are intended to promote and facilitate public recreation and nature tourism. Restricting guest access is ineffective in achieving this goal.
However, Kimberley Day Cruise CEO Sally Shaw supported the restriction. She told CNN that the trips to Horizontal Falls offered by her organization only go nearby and not through the crevices. According to them, drilling holes in the falls is risky and disrespectful to the traditional owners of the falls.
According to Shaw, “We do not cross the falls for safety and cultural reasons, and this has never happened on our tour.” “Most people who go on these tours are knowledgeable about other cultures and know that the future is a safer one is a national treasure that we can all enjoy.”