Waterfalls are cool and all, but an underwater waterfall? That’s the kind of out-of-this-world scene dreams are made of — and you can find it in Mauritius. This Indian Ocean nation is home to a national park (Black River Gorges National Park) and tons of beautiful beaches and lagoons. It’s also the same place you’ll find an incredible optical illusion.
From the shores of Mauritius, it might not look like much. But hop on a helicopter tour of the island and you’ll notice a particularly intriguing shoreline. It looks like there’s a deep waterfall flowing down underneath the water. Unfortunately, it’s not exactly what it seems, but the real truth behind what your eyes are seeing is just as cool.
The seemingly cliff-like drop-off is not any deeper than the surrounding area. We can thank the sand and silt deposits for giving off that effect. The color of the water is a little bit different depending on the ground beneath it, making some areas appear deeper than others.
The entire island maps in at 720 square miles, and — fun fact — it even has its very own time zone. The island is also home to some very rare wildlife, some of which you will only find on the island (pink pigeons, the red-headed bird Mauritius fody, and the elusive shrub trochetia boutoniana, to name a few).
Just imagine floating above this underwater waterfall. If that doesn’t get your adrenaline pumping, I don’t know what will.
