Gocta
| Gocta | ||
|---|---|---|
 Gocta Waterfall, Bongará Province , Peru |
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| Coordinates | 6 ° 1 '23.1 " S , 77 ° 53' 14.4" W | |
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| place | Bongará | |
| height | 771 m falling edge : 2500 m impact zone : 1729 m |
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| Number of fall levels | 2 | |
| Falling watercourse | Cocahuayco | |
| Estuarine waters | Cocahuayco → Utcubamba | |
The Peruvian Gocta waterfall is one of the highest on earth with a drop of 771 meters. Its water volume fluctuates very strongly, depending on the current rainfall in its small, rocky catchment area , which lies at an altitude between 2500 and 3000 m . It is located in the province of Bongará and the district of Valera, about 20 kilometers north of Chachapoyas , the capital of the Amazon region in Peru . A few kilometers to the north is the Yumbilla waterfall , with a drop of almost 900 m, but only in the rainy season.
The Gocta waterfall is located in the eastern Andes, also known as the Yungas. The closest places are San Pablo, 1934 m and Cocachimba, 1796 m high. The temperature in this region fluctuates between 15 and 22 degrees Celsius. In the forests around the waterfall, the temperature can be significantly lower due to the moisture and the spray from the waterfall.
The dry season in this region is between May and September. During this time, the amount of water in the waterfall can decrease significantly. In the rainy season from October to April, rainfall can reduce the amount of water z. Sometimes let it swell very suddenly.
The name Gocta is derived from the call of the yellow-tailed woolly monkey ( Lagotrix flavicauda ), which calls "Goj, Goj, Goj".
Legends about Gocta
There are two myths about the waterfall, the proximity of which the descendants of the Chachapoya feared and whose existence they therefore allegedly tried to keep secret - for a long time the Gocta could not be found on any map. This is how the legend goes about a beautiful siren who lives in the lagoon of the waterfall. She is considered the mother of the fish of the river and guardian of a pot of gold. The locals say that if you love your life, don't dare go near them. The other legend is about the farmer Juan Mendoza, who inexplicably disappeared near the waterfall; according to belief, Mendoza was turned into a rock and now has to defend himself with his shoulders against the huge masses of water that tumble down from above.
Discovery and Surveying
Stefan Ziemendorff, German development worker and coordinator of the “100,000 drinking water connections” plan, first saw the impressive waterfall in 2002 during an expedition in the impassable nature reserve. At the end of February 2006, Ziemendorff returned with a Peruvian research team to carry out the survey. The height of 771 m could be determined with a measurement uncertainty of 13.5 m.
At the subsequent press conference, Ziemendorff named the Gocta as the third highest waterfall in the world, which is only surpassed by the Salto Ángel in Venezuela (972 m) and the Tugela Falls in South Africa (948 m) and the Yosemite Falls in fourth place. He relied on information from the National Geographic Society from 2005. The criteria that define a waterfall, however, are controversial. The Ramnefjellsfossen (808 m) and the Mongefossen (773 m) in Norway are also classified as waterfalls. However, both have hardly any free falls and only arise during the snowmelt in spring. According to the privately managed World Waterfall Database , the Gocta ranks 14th. There, however, anyone can enter waterfalls with unchecked heights.
tourism
In the vicinity of the waterfall, the area of the sierra (mountains - preliminary stage of the rainforest) is predominant with many animal species threatened with extinction. These include spectacled bears and rare species of hummingbird and parrot . The rainforest is part of a 3,300 square kilometer nature reserve.
This natural paradise is threatened by extensive agriculture ( sugar cane ), which has so far been the only source of income for the nearby villages of San Pablo and Cocachimba. The residents of the area live in very simple conditions. Visitors are asked to look for tour guides on site and buy provisions. This ensures that the income from tourism not only stays with the big travel agencies, but also brings the local population a direct improvement in living conditions.
Every visitor has to register on site at the parish hall and pay 20 soles entry. A local guide is essential for the two-hour hike to the foot of the upper or lower step. Without a guide you may only visit the waterfall after written confirmation of the knowledge of the possible dangers.
On June 28, 2016, a 28-year-old South Korean who wanted to take a selfie at the waterfall to show his Korean friends the view died. The South Korean had disregarded his guide's instructions to stay further away from the waterfall, so that he finally lost his balance on a slippery rock and was carried by the river to the waterfall, which he fell down. His body remained at the foot of the waterfall and was recovered seven days later.
Web links
- Gocta Waterfall in the World Waterfall Database
- German discovers large waterfall (report of the Tagesspiegel from March 23, 2006)
- Hallan colosal catarata en Perú (Report from the Spanish editorial team of BBC World of March 11, 2006)
- Lugareños ocultaron existencia de Gocta por temor a leyendas (Article in the Peruvian daily El Comercio of March 9, 2006)
- Information and pictures Gocta
Individual evidence
- ↑ Per Jonas Kliesow, Michell León León: Gocta . German Society for International Cooperation, Lima 2011, ISBN 978-9972-854-60-6 , p. 92? ., doi : 10.2307 / 931354 .
- ↑ Amazon: hallan cadáver de surcoreano que cayó en cataratas de Gocta. July 2, 2016, accessed July 24, 2016 .