Kiama, Australia

Kiama Blowhole

This massive water spout has been luring visitors for hundreds of years, some to their death.

This hole in the rocky Australian coastline spits out water to a staggering height of 82 feet, making Kiama Blowhole one of the most powerful sea-cave blowholes in the world.

As the Pacific Ocean rushes into the ever widening sea cave beneath the Kiama Blowhole, the entry to the cave can become completely blocked which forces compressed air and water firing out through the blowhole. The impressive and violent natural display has been known of since the mid-1700’s when a whaler who had moored nearby discovered the spout, noting the deafening boom that accompanies each eruption. However, there is evidence that the local native peoples had already catalogued the wonder, naming it “Khanterintee.”

Since the natural shower only occurs when the seas are swelled and fairly turbulent, visiting the site can be a dangerous venture for anyone who is not paying attention. In fact, in 1992 an entire family of seven was swept out to sea while visiting the blowhole when a huge swell crested the rocks and washed them away.

Danger or no, the Kiama Blowhole is still a popular attraction in the town, and is often referred to the as the “Big Blowhole” thanks to a smaller, yet similar feature known, unsurprisingly as the “Little Blowhole.”