A note from our curator, independent filmmaker David Conover on why he chose this film:

The Gocta Cataracts in Cocachimba, Peru is one of the world’s largest waterfalls, flowing at a height of more than 2,500 feet (250 stories tall!). It attracts tourists from all over the world, but until 2005 its existence was known only to locals. Not even the Peruvian government was aware of it. Why the locals kept Gocta a secret is an intriguing one: a longstanding legend kept them fearful and at bay. To find out more about the legend, and how life has changed for locals since the opening of the waterfall, watch this short film, produced by Atlas Obscura.

A Secret Waterfall: Gocta - Produced by Dylan Thuras

About David Conover:

David Conover is an award-winning filmmaker and conservationist whose work has appeared on Discovery Channel, PBS, and National Geographic Explorer. He is the founder of Compass Light Productions and the nonprofit Conservation Media Group, and was recently the Coastal Studies Scholar at Bowdoin College. Learn more about David here.

Meet the people of Peru, and discover their traditions and superstitions, when you join O.A.T. on Machu Picchu & the Galápagos.