Apr 13, 2025
Underwater waterfall in Mauritius
"Mauritius and its surrounding islands, including La Reunion and Rodrigues, were formed by volcanic activity under the ocean."
The islands – known as the Mascarene Islands (or Îles Mascareignes) – sit on a submarine plateau, also known as an ocean shelf. The shelf is no deeper than 150 metres below sea level, but its drop-off plunges to depths of over 4000 metres. So it’s not water rushing over the drop-off and falling to a depth of 4000 metres, it’s actually sand and silt being shimmied off the edge by the ocean’s currents. Instead of an underwater waterfall, it’s more of an underwater sandfall."
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