Blue Nile Falls on the Blue Nile river in Ethiopia is also known as Tis Abay in Amharic, which means “great smoke”. The falls are estimated to be over 40 metres high. In the rainy season the falls can grow to about 400 metres wide, but in the dry season, it can reduce to a trickle. After the rains in September, the falls drop over a chasm that is more than 45 metres deep, throwing up a continuous spray of water droplets that produce rainbows that shift and shimmer. The area has lush green vegetation and is home to many indigenous animals such as monkeys, and a multitude of coloured birds.