Rising up majestically into the sky across Venezuelan, Brazilian, and Guyanan borders, the so-called “Floating Island” is so unique that scientists are still trying to understand its intricate ecosystem.
Standing 9,220 ft tall at its peak with an average cliffside elevation of 1,300 ft, these cloud-shrouded cliff edges appear to drop sharply into oblivion, giving the whole plateau an otherworldly feel about them. It’s not surprising then that kind of vista makes for a popular choice with intrepid adventurers seeking Indiana Jones-style landscapes.
Also known as ‘tepuis’, strange geological formations like this are among the oldest plateaus in the world. Tepuis like Mount Roraima form differently from traditional mountains which generally forge when two continental plates collide. Here though, sand settled and became rock at the bottom of ancient oceans a colossal 1.5-2 billion years ago – bearing in mind Mount Everest only formed about 60 million years ago, this gives some perspective to their history.
After this sandstone formed, the oceans receded and erosion carved out the areas around the tepuis and created a giant shelf made of truly ancient rock, giving the impression it had sprung up out of nowhere.
Its thought that Roraima tree frogs had a common ancestor that lived over five million years ago, suggesting there was a way for creatures to migrate to and from the mountaintops on their own. Remarkably, 35% of Mount Roraima’s species are thought to be endemic, with one such example being the pitcher plant, a carnivorous trap for insects, which evolved independently on the mountain over millions of years.
The English poet, army officer and explorer Walter Reilly described Roraima as an immeasurable “Crystal Mountain” gushing out of countless waterfalls. On top of this, there are even jacuzzi pools on Roraima! A rushing stream has eroded the sandstone into a series of pools and water-filled holes resembling jacuzzis and lagoons, albeit slightly colder than the average hot tub!
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