Part of our The Kimberley guide →
Garaan-ngaddim at a glance
- Place
- Talbot Bay, Buccaneer Archipelago, Western Australia
- Traditional Owners
- Dambeemangaddee people, represented by Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation
- Traditional name
- Garaan-ngaddim
- Seaward gap
- Roughly 20 metres wide
- Inner gap
- Roughly 10 metres wide
- Height difference
- Up to around 4 metres between the two sides
- Access now
- Managed access through the wide gap only, licensed operators, to end of the 2028 season
How Do the Horizontal Falls Work?
The tide has to pass through two narrow gaps in the McLarty Range to fill or empty the bays behind them. It cannot move fast enough, so the water level stacks up on one side by as much as four metres, producing a waterfall that runs horizontally. It reverses direction with every turn of the tide.
The seaward gap is around twenty metres wide and the inner gap narrows to about ten. Because the Kimberley tidal range exceeds ten metres, the pressure difference across those gaps is enormous, and the water arrives as a rapid rather than a fall.
Twice a day it runs one way and twice a day it runs the other, with a brief slack period between. Our guide to Kimberley tides explains the mechanism that drives it.
Can You Still Ride a Boat Through the Falls?
Partly, and not for much longer. In April 2026 the Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation endorsed extending managed access through the wide gap at Garaan-ngaddim to the end of the 2028 tourism season, for existing licensed operators only. That is an extension of a wind-down, not a reprieve — and the narrow inner gap is not part of it.
| Activity | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Boat transit through the narrow inner gap | Not available | Removed from tourism operations to protect a sacred site |
| Managed access through the wide gap | Extended to the end of the 2028 season | Existing licensed operators only, endorsed by Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation in April 2026 |
| Zodiac viewing in Talbot Bay | Available | Standard on expedition itineraries, including Cyclone Creek |
| Seaplane and scenic flights | Available | Operated from Broome and from some vessels |
| Dambeemangaddee-led cultural experiences | In development | The intended long-term offer at Garaan-ngaddim, state-funded |
Position as verified in September 2026 from Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation and Western Australian government sources. Confirm at time of booking.
The direction of travel is clear and the Traditional Owners have stated it plainly: Garaan-ngaddim is mamaa, a sacred and powerful place, and the long-term intent is quiet country with a Dambeemangaddee-led cultural tourism offer in its place 1. The Western Australian government has committed funding to support that transition 2.
If you have read older material describing thrill rides through the narrow inner gap, treat it as out of date. We would rather tell you this now than have you book a voyage expecting an experience that is being retired. Please read it as what it is: the people whose country this is have asked for something different, and that request comes first. See responsible travel for how we handle this generally.
What Is the Place Actually Called?
Garaan-ngaddim is the Dambeemangaddee name for the falls themselves. Lalang-garram is a name used for the marine parks in this part of the Kimberley, including the Lalang-garram / Horizontal Falls Marine Park, and it refers to that protected area rather than to the falls. Older material often attaches it to the wrong feature.
The distinction matters because attaching an Indigenous place name to the wrong thing is a small act of erasure that then gets copied endlessly. We use Garaan-ngaddim for the falls and Lalang-garram for the marine park.
What Does Visiting Talbot Bay Involve Now?
Most expedition ships anchor in Talbot Bay and run Zodiacs to view the falls and the surrounding country, including the folded sandstone of Cyclone Creek. Where licensed fast-boat access through the wide gap still operates, it is a short, powerful ride. Seaplane flights over the bay are available from Broome.
Cyclone Creek is worth its own mention. The rock there is dramatically folded and the sheltered water is a cyclone refuge for working boats, which is how it got the name.
Clients consistently tell us the aerial view is what made the geography make sense — from the water you see a rapid, and from the air you see why it exists.
Did David Attenborough Really Call This a Natural Wonder?
The phrase 'one of the greatest natural wonders of the world' is widely attributed to Sir David Attenborough, including by Tourism Western Australia. We have not found the original broadcast or publication, so we attribute it as Tourism WA does and no more firmly than that.
We flag it because the quote appears everywhere in Kimberley marketing with no source attached, and a claim repeated a thousand times is still only as strong as its origin 3.
Have You Been There?
No. We sail the Kimberley in 2027 with Seabourn. This page is built from the current Traditional Owner and Western Australian government positions, operator briefings, and what our clients have described after visiting Talbot Bay. When we have been, we will rewrite it and say so clearly.
Access rules on this coast are changing, so we date what we publish and check it. If you are planning a 2027 or 2028 voyage, ask us to confirm the position at the time of booking rather than relying on any page, including this one.
Horizontal Falls questions
Can you still go through the Horizontal Falls by boat?
Managed access through the wide gap has been extended to the end of the 2028 tourism season for existing licensed operators. Transits through the narrow inner gap are not part of that access. The long-term intent is quiet country with Dambeemangaddee-led cultural experiences instead.
What are the Horizontal Falls called by Traditional Owners?
Garaan-ngaddim, in the language of the Dambeemangaddee people. Lalang-garram is the name used for the marine parks in the area, not for the falls themselves.
How are the Horizontal Falls formed?
Tidal water cannot pass quickly enough through two narrow gaps in the McLarty Range, so the level stacks up by as much as four metres on one side, creating a horizontal waterfall that reverses with each tide.
How wide are the gaps at the Horizontal Falls?
The seaward gap is roughly twenty metres wide and the inner gap narrows to about ten metres.
Do Kimberley cruises still visit Talbot Bay?
Yes. Zodiac viewing in Talbot Bay, including Cyclone Creek, remains standard on expedition itineraries.