Which amazes with its power, strength and boundless energy. This element attracts the attention of researchers who are trying to understand the very nature of the occurrence of giant waves in order to prevent terrible consequences from the destructive power of water. This review will present a list of the largest tsunamis in scope that have occurred over the past 60 years.
Destructive wave in Alaska
The largest tsunamis in the world occur under the influence of various factors, but the most common cause of this phenomenon is earthquakes. It was the tremors that became the basis for the formation of a deadly wave back in 1964 in Alaska. Good Friday (March 27), one of the main Christian holidays, was overshadowed by an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2 points. The natural phenomenon had a direct impact on the ocean - waves 30 meters long and 8 meters high arose. The tsunami destroyed everything in its path: the West Coast of North America, as well as Haiti and Japan, were affected. On this day, about 120 people died, and the territory of Alaska decreased by 2.4 meters.
Samoa's deadly tsunami
The photo of the largest wave in the world (tsunami) invariably impresses and evokes the most contradictory feelings - this is both horror from realizing the scale of the disaster that followed, and a certain reverence for the forces of nature. In general, a lot of similar pictures have appeared on news resources in recent years. They depict the terrible consequences of a natural disaster that took place in Samoa. According to reliable data, about 198 local residents died during the disaster, most of whom were children.
The magnitude 8.1 earthquake caused the world's largest tsunami. Photos of the consequences can be seen in the review. The maximum wave height reached 13.7 meters. The water destroyed several villages as it moved 1.6 km inland. Subsequently, after this tragic event, the situation in the region began to be monitored, which made it possible to evacuate people in a timely manner.
Hokkaido Island, Japan
The rating “The biggest tsunami in the world” cannot be imagined without an incident that occurred in Japan in 1993. The root cause of the formation of giant waves is an earthquake, which was localized 129 km from the coast. The authorities announced the evacuation of people, but it was not possible to avoid casualties. The height of the largest tsunami in the world, which occurred in Japan, was 30 meters. Special barriers were not enough to stop the powerful flow, so the small island of Okusuri was completely submerged in water. On this day, about 200 people out of 250 inhabitants who inhabited the city died.
City of Tumaco: the horror of a December morning
1979, December 12 - one of the most tragic days in the lives of people inhabiting the Pacific coast. It was on this morning at about 8:00 that an earthquake occurred with a magnitude of 8.9. But this was not the most serious shock that awaited people. After this, a whole series of tsunamis hit small villages and cities, sweeping away everything in its path. Within a few hours of the disaster, 259 people died, more than 750 were seriously injured, and 95 residents were declared missing. Below is a photo of the largest wave in the world. The tsunami in Tumaco cannot leave anyone indifferent.
Indonesian tsunami
5th place in the list of “The largest tsunamis in the world” is occupied by a wave 7 meters high, but stretching for 160 km. The Pangadarian resort area disappeared from the face of the earth along with the people who inhabited the area. In July 2006, 668 residents died and more than 9,000 sought help from medical institutions. About 70 people were declared missing.
Papua New Guinea: tsunami for humanity
The largest tsunami wave in the world, despite the severity of all the consequences, became an opportunity for scientists to advance in studying the underlying causes of this natural phenomenon. In particular, the primary role of strong underwater landslides, which contribute to water fluctuations, was identified.
In July 1998, an earthquake occurred with a magnitude of 7 points. Despite the seismic activity, scientists were unable to predict the tsunami, which caused numerous casualties. More than 2,000 residents died under the pressure of 15- and 10-meter waves, more than 10 thousand people lost their shelter and livelihood, 500 people disappeared.
Philippines: no chance of salvation
If you ask experts what is the largest tsunami in the world, they will unanimously name the wave of 1976. During this period, seismic activity was recorded near the island of Mindanao; at the source, the strength of the tremors reached 7.9 points. The earthquake created a wave of enormous scale that covered 700 km of the Philippine coast. The tsunami reached a height of 4.5 m. Residents did not have time to evacuate, which led to numerous casualties. More than 5 thousand died, 2,200 people were declared missing, and about 9,500 local residents were injured. In total, 90 thousand people suffered from the tsunami and lost their homes.
Pacific Death
The year 1960 is marked red in history. This comes as 6,000 people died due to a magnitude 9.5 earthquake at the end of May this year. It was seismic tremors that contributed to the eruption of the volcano and the formation of a colossal wave that swept away everything in its path. The height of the tsunami reached 25 meters, which in 1960 was a true record.
Tsunami in Tohuku: nuclear disaster
Japan faced this again, but the consequences were even worse than in 1993. A powerful wave, which reached 30 meters, hit Ofunato, a Japanese city. As a result of the disaster, more than 125 thousand buildings were taken out of service, and serious damage was caused to the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. The nuclear disaster was one of the most serious in recent years throughout the world. There is still no reliable information about the true damage caused to the environment. However, there is an opinion that the radiation spread over 320 km.
Tsunami in India is a threat to all humanity!
The natural disasters listed in the World's Biggest Tsunamis cannot compare to the event that occurred in December 2004. The wave hit several states that have access to the Indian Ocean. This is a real world war that required more than 14 billion dollars to correct the situation. According to reports presented after the tsunami, more than 240 thousand people living in various countries died: India, Indonesia, Thailand, etc.
The reason for the formation of a 30-meter wave is an earthquake. Its strength was 9.3 points. The water flow reached the coasts of some countries 15 minutes after the start of seismic activity, which did not give people a chance to escape death. Other states fell into the power of the elements after 7 hours, but despite such a delay, the population did not evacuate due to the lack of a warning system. Some people, oddly enough, were helped to escape by children who studied the signs of an impending disaster at school.
Tsunami in the fjord-shaped Gulf of Alaska
In the history of meteorological observations, a tsunami has been recorded, the height of which exceeds all conceivable and inconceivable records. In particular, scientists were able to record a wave with a height of 524 meters. A powerful stream of water rushed at a speed of 160 km/h. There was not a single living place left on the way: the trees were uprooted, the rocks were covered with cracks and breaks. La Gaussie Spit was wiped off the face of the Earth. Fortunately, there were few casualties. Only the death of the crew of one of the longboats, which at that moment was in a nearby bay, was recorded.
At the end of December 2004, one of the most powerful earthquakes in the last half century occurred near the island of Sumatra, located in the Indian Ocean. Its consequences turned out to be catastrophic: due to the displacement of lithospheric plates, a huge fault was formed, and a large amount of water rose from the ocean floor, which, at a speed reaching one kilometer per hour, began to rapidly move throughout the Indian Ocean.
As a result, thirteen countries were affected, about a million people were left without a roof over their heads, and more than two hundred thousand were killed or missing. This disaster turned out to be the worst in human history.
Tsunamis are long and high waves that appear as a result of a sharp displacement of lithospheric plates of the ocean floor during underwater or coastal earthquakes (the length of the shaft is from 150 to 300 km). Unlike ordinary waves that appear as a result of the impact of a strong wind on the water surface (for example, a storm), a tsunami wave affects water from the bottom to the surface of the ocean, which is why even low-level water can often lead to disasters.
It is interesting that for ships located in the ocean at this time, these waves are not dangerous: most of the disturbed water is located in its depths, the depth of which is several kilometers - and therefore the height of the waves above the surface of the water ranges from 0.1 to 5 meters. Approaching the coast, the back of the wave catches up with the front, which at this time slows down slightly, grows to a height of 10 to 50 meters (the deeper the ocean, the larger the swell) and a crest appears on it.
It should be taken into account that the approaching shaft develops the highest speed in the Pacific Ocean (it ranges from 650 to 800 km/h). As for the average speed of most waves, it ranges from 400 to 500 km/h, but there have been cases when they accelerated to speeds of a thousand kilometers (the speed usually increases after the wave passes over a deep-sea trench).
Before hitting the coast, the water suddenly and quickly moves away from the shoreline, exposing the bottom (the further it recedes, the higher the wave will be). If people do not know about the approaching disaster, instead of going as far from the shore as possible, they instead run to collect shells or pick up fish that did not have time to go to sea. And just a few minutes later, a wave that arrived here at enormous speed does not leave them the slightest chance of salvation.
It must be taken into account that if a wave rolls onto the coast from the opposite side of the ocean, the water does not always recede.
Ultimately, a huge mass of water floods the entire coastline and goes inland to a distance of 2 to 4 km, destroying buildings, roads, piers and leading to the death of people and animals. In front of the shaft, clearing the way for the water, there is always an air shock wave, which literally explodes buildings and structures that are in its path.
It is interesting that this deadly natural phenomenon consists of several waves, and the first wave is far from the largest: it only wets the coast, reducing the resistance for the following waves, which often do not arrive immediately, and at intervals of two to three hours. The fatal mistake of people is their return to the shore after the first attack of the elements has left.
Reasons for education
One of the main reasons for the displacement of lithospheric plates (in 85% of cases) is underwater earthquakes, during which one part of the bottom rises and the other sinks. As a result, the ocean surface begins to oscillate vertically, trying to return to the initial level, forming waves. It is worth noting that underwater earthquakes do not always lead to the formation of a tsunami: only those where the source is located a short distance from the ocean floor, and the shaking was at least seven points.
The reasons for the formation of a tsunami are quite different. The main ones include underwater landslides, which, depending on the steepness of the continental slope, are capable of covering enormous distances - from 4 to 11 km strictly vertically (depending on the depth of the ocean or gorge) and up to 2.5 km if the surface is slightly inclined.
Large waves can be caused by huge objects falling into the water - rocks or blocks of ice. Thus, the largest tsunami in the world, the height of which exceeded five hundred meters, was recorded in Alaska, in the state of Lituya, when, as a result of a strong earthquake, a landslide came down from the mountains - and 30 million cubic meters of stones and ice fell into the bay.
The main causes of tsunamis also include volcanic eruptions (about 5%). During strong volcanic explosions, waves are formed, and water instantly fills the vacated space inside the volcano, as a result of which a huge shaft is formed and begins its journey.
For example, during the eruption of the Indonesian volcano Krakatau at the end of the 19th century. The “rogue wave” destroyed about 5 thousand ships and caused the death of 36 thousand people.
In addition to the above, experts identify two more possible causes of the tsunami. First of all, this is human activity. For example, in the middle of the last century, the Americans carried out an underwater atomic explosion at a depth of sixty meters, causing a wave about 29 meters high, although it did not last long and fell, having covered a maximum of 300 meters.
Another reason for the formation of a tsunami is the fall of meteorites with a diameter of more than 1 km into the ocean (the impact of which is strong enough to cause a natural disaster). According to one version of scientists, several thousand years ago it was meteorites that caused the strongest waves that became the causes of the largest climate disasters in the history of our planet.
Classification
When classifying tsunamis, scientists take into account a sufficient number of factors of their occurrence, including meteorological disasters, explosions and even ebbs and flows, and low wave surges with a height of about 10 cm are included in the list.
By shaft strength
The strength of the shaft is measured by taking into account its maximum height, as well as how catastrophic the consequences it caused and, according to the international IIDA scale, there are 15 categories, from -5 to +10 (the more victims, the higher the category).
By intensity
According to intensity, “rogue waves” are divided into six points, which make it possible to characterize the consequences of the disaster:
- Waves with a category of one point are so small that they are recorded only by instruments (most people do not even know about their presence).
- Two-point waves are capable of slightly flooding the shore, so only specialists can distinguish them from the fluctuations of ordinary waves.
- The waves, which are classified as force three, are strong enough to throw small boats onto the coast.
- Force four waves can not only wash large sea vessels ashore, but also throw them onto the coast.
- Point five waves are already acquiring catastrophe proportions. They are capable of destroying low buildings, wooden buildings, and causing casualties.
- As for force six waves, the waves that wash up on the coast completely devastate it along with the adjacent lands.
By number of victims
Based on the number of deaths, five groups of this dangerous phenomenon are distinguished. The first includes situations where no deaths were recorded. The second - waves that resulted in the death of up to fifty people. Shafts belonging to the third category cause the death of fifty to one hundred people. The fourth category includes “rogue waves,” which killed from one hundred to a thousand people.
The consequences of a tsunami belonging to the fifth category are catastrophic, since they entail the death of more than a thousand people. Typically, such disasters are typical for the waters of the deepest ocean in the world, the Pacific, but they often occur in other parts of the planet. This applies to the disasters of 2004 near Indonesia and 2011 in Japan (25 thousand dead). “Rogue waves” have also been recorded in history in Europe, for example, in the middle of the 18th century, a thirty-meter wave hit the coast of Portugal (from 30 to 60 thousand people died during this disaster).
Economic damage
As for the economic damage, it is measured in American dollars and calculated taking into account the costs that must be allocated for the restoration of the destroyed infrastructure (lost property and destroyed houses are not taken into account, because they relate to the country’s social expenses).
Economists distinguish five groups based on the size of losses. The first category includes waves that did not cause much harm, the second - with losses of up to 1 million dollars, the third - up to 5 million dollars, and the fourth - up to 25 million dollars.
Damage from waves, classified as group five, exceeds 25 million. For example, losses from two major natural disasters, which occurred in 2004 near Indonesia and in 2011 in Japan, amounted to about $250 billion. It is also worth taking into account the environmental factor, since the waves, which led to the death of 25 thousand people, damaged a nuclear power plant in Japan, causing an accident.
Disaster recognition systems
Unfortunately, rogue waves often appear so unexpectedly and move at such high speeds that it is extremely difficult to determine their appearance, and therefore seismologists often fail to cope with the task assigned to them.
Basically, disaster warning systems are built on the processing of seismic data: if there is a suspicion that an earthquake will have a magnitude of more than seven points, and its source will be located on the ocean (sea) floor, then all countries that are at risk receive warnings of approaching huge waves.
Unfortunately, the 2004 disaster occurred because almost all surrounding countries did not have an identification system. Despite the fact that about seven hours passed between the earthquake and the surging shaft, the population was not warned of the approaching disaster.
To determine the presence of dangerous waves in the open ocean, scientists use special hydrostatic pressure sensors that transmit data to a satellite, which allows them to quite accurately determine the time of their arrival at a particular point.
How to survive during a disaster
If it so happens that you find yourself in an area where there is a high probability of deadly waves occurring, you must remember to follow the forecasts of seismologists and remember all the warning signals of an approaching disaster. It is also necessary to find out the boundaries of the most dangerous zones and the shortest roads along which you can leave the dangerous territory.
When you hear a signal warning of approaching water, you should immediately leave the danger area. Experts will not be able to say exactly how much time there is to evacuate: it could be a couple of minutes or several hours. If you do not have time to leave the area and live in a multi-story building, then you need to go up to the top floors, closing all the windows and doors.
But if you are in a one- or two-story house, you need to immediately leave it and run to a tall building or climb some hill (as a last resort, you can climb a tree and cling tightly to it). If it so happens that you did not have time to leave a dangerous place and found yourself in the water, you need to try to free yourself from shoes and wet clothes and try to cling to floating objects.
When the first wave subsides, it is necessary to leave the dangerous area, since the next one will most likely come after it. You can return only when there are no waves for about three to four hours. Once at home, check the walls and ceilings for cracks, gas leaks and electrical conditions.
Giant waves are called "tsunamis". They are of enormous height and width, arising in the ocean under the influence of water (most often due to earthquakes). The word itself comes from the Japanese language, where it consists of two characters - “wave” and “bay”. It was Japan and other countries with access to the Pacific Ocean that became victims of rogue waves. The Pacific region witnessed a world wave that hit the coast of American Alaska.
Top 1. Tsunami in Lituya Bay, 1958
Lituya Bay is located in the northeastern part of the Gulf of Alaska. The bay is separated from the ocean outlet by a strait about 500 meters wide. Lituya Bay is about 11 kilometers long and about 3 kilometers wide. In the center of the bay is the Cenotaph Island.
The disaster was provoked by the earthquake that took place on July 9, 1958. It caused a rockfall on the Gilbert Glacier northeast of the bay. About 30 million cubic meters of rock and ice fell into the eastern part of the bay from a height of about 900 meters. The tsunami caused by the rockfall hit both shores of the bay and Cenotaph Island. The La Gaussi spit, located near the epicenter of the wave, was washed away almost completely. The wave height was 524 meters. The tsunami uprooted most of the trees in the area.
Five people became victims of the huge wave. Two of them were caught by the tsunami on a fishing boat. The people who went out into the bay on two more ships on that fateful day miraculously survived and were picked up by rescuers.
Top 2. Indian Ocean, 2004
The 2004 tsunami went down in history as the deadliest - more than 230 thousand people became victims of nature's wrath. The giant wave began with an underwater earthquake of magnitude 9. The tsunami waves that hit the land reached a height of thirty meters.
Radar satellites recorded an underwater tsunami, whose height after the earthquake was about 60 centimeters. Unfortunately, these observations could not help prevent disaster because it took several hours to process the data.
Sea waves reached the coasts of different countries at different times. The first shock immediately after the earthquake hit the north of the island of Sumatra. The tsunami reached Sri Lanka and India only an hour and a half later. Two hours later, the waves hit the shores of Thailand.
Tsunami waves led to casualties in the countries of East Africa: Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania. Sixteen hours later, the waves reached the town of Struisbaa on the coast of South Africa. A little later, tidal waves up to a meter high were recorded in the area of a Japanese research station in Antarctica.
Part of the tsunami energy escaped into the Pacific Ocean, where tidal waves were recorded on the coasts of Canada, British Columbia, and Mexico. In some places their height reached 2 and a half meters, which exceeded the waves recorded off the coast of some countries located closer to the epicenter.
Those most affected by the tsunami were:
- Indonesia. Three waves hit the northern part of the island of Sumatra less than half an hour after the earthquake. According to survivors, the waves were higher than the houses.
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands (India), where more than 4 thousand people died.
- Sri Lanka. The waves reached a height of 12 meters. The Queen of the Sea passenger train became a victim of the tsunami. His death became the worst train disaster in recent history and claimed more than 1,700 lives.
- Thailand. Waves, the height of which was second only to those that hit Sumatra, destroyed the southwestern coast of the country. There were many tourists from other countries at the scene of the tragedy. More than three thousand people died and another five thousand were missing.
Top 3. Japan, 2011
In March 2011, an underwater earthquake occurred in the ocean east of the island of Honshu. It triggered a tsunami wave that devastated the coast of Honshu and other islands of the archipelago. The waves reached the opposite shore of the Pacific Ocean. Evacuations were announced in coastal areas of South American countries, but the waves did not pose a major threat.
The waves reached the islands of the Kuril chain. The Ministry of Emergency Situations evacuated several thousand Russian citizens from the coastal areas of the islands. Waves up to three meters high were recorded near the village of Malokurilskoye.
The first waves of the tsunami hit the Japanese archipelago within half an hour of completion. The highest height was recorded near the city of Miyako (northern Honshu) - 40 meters. The coast took the heaviest blows within an hour after the earthquake.
The tsunami damaged three Japanese prefectures in Honshu. The cataclysm also provoked an accident at a nuclear power plant. The city of Rikuzentakata was actually washed away into the ocean - almost all the buildings went under water. The 2011 tragedy claimed the lives of more than 15 thousand residents of the Japanese archipelago.
Probably, the sparse population of Alaska was the reason why the largest wave in the world did not lead to mass casualties. Nowadays, the system for monitoring earthquakes and tsunamis has been improved, which makes it possible to reduce the number of victims during disasters. But coastal communities remain at risk from the ocean's unpredictable behavior.
Ocean, sand, beach, cocktail, sun lounger and waves 30 meters high. Yes, it's all in one place, but, fortunately, at different times. How can this be? We head to the town of Nazare on the west coast of Portugal. It is here, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, that you can see both a relaxed beach holiday and the biggest waves in the world.
This landmark of Portugal is located between the capital Lisbon and the city of Porto.
In summer, the small resort town of Nazaré, with a population of about 15,000 people, is the country's classic tourist destination. Its long sandy beaches are occupied by tourists from all over the planet. They bask in the gentle sun and swim in the Atlantic Ocean. In general, an ordinary relaxing holiday.
In winter, everything changes dramatically. Beach tourists are replaced by extreme sports enthusiasts and lovers of unusual natural phenomena. During this period, one can observe the formation of giant waves that hit the coast almost at arm's length. This phenomenon, incredible in its power and amazing in its beauty, attracts both travelers and the most desperate surfers.
Who produces the biggest waves on the planet
Let us remind you once again that almost everything amazing, beautiful, sometimes frightening, but fascinating on our planet is produced by nature. In this case, the creator of the giant waves was the atypical topography of the ocean floor near the city of Nazaré, in particular the underwater Northern Canyon of Nazaré. This depression in the bottom surface reaches almost to the very shore, forming a kind of springboard for ocean waves.
It should be noted that the Nazare Canyon is recognized as the deepest in Europe and one of the deepest in the world. It is located not parallel to the coast, but perpendicular. Its length is 227 km, and its depth reaches 5 kilometers (this is almost half the depth of the Mariana Trench). As you approach the coast, the depth decreases sharply, creating a barrier in the path of the wave and increasing its height many times over. Conditions arise under which colossal masses of water must jump over this obstacle. Don't forget, all this happens in close proximity to tourists.
In the pictures below you can see the geological reasons for the appearance of huge waves.
Typical diagram of the formation of a giant wave But that's not all. The bottom topography alone is not enough to produce the highest waves. This requires a combination of many factors.
Hell of a cocktail for getting the biggest waves
The presence of the canyon creates special conditions for the creation of large waves. It splits the wave into two parts. One part increases its speed while passing through the canyon, and the second reunites with the first at the exit of the canyon into one large wave.
Opposing ocean current coming from the beach can add a few more meters.
For the birth of a giant wave, the wave period is important, which should be about 14 seconds. The wind, oddly enough, should be weak. The direction of the wave is very important; ideally it should come from the west or northwest. Added to these factors are storms in the northern part of the Atlantic that occur during the fall and winter. The combination of these factors can increase the average ocean wave several times.
How often do big waves appear?
Looking at the photos on the Internet, as well as on our website, you might think that giant waves in Nazaré are formed almost every minute. But that's not true. A little higher, you learned how many combined phenomena are required to produce a huge wave. This doesn't happen that often.
The Big Waves season in Nazaré occurs from October to February. During these months there are usually between 1 and 6 giant waves and tens or hundreds of much smaller waves. If you want to see a truly huge wave, then plan to spend at least 2 weeks here, or keep an eye on the forecasts on surfing websites. For a large wave, the forecast should indicate a wave size of more than 3 meters, a wave period of more than 13 seconds and a slight northerly wind.
If you are already there, check the sea conditions in real time through the online forecast and webcams. But, even if all forecasts indicate ideal conditions for the occurrence of large waves, then everything can change in just an hour and ruin a day with a favorable forecast.
But in Peru you can see the longest sea waves in the world. They are much safer than the waves in Nazaré, and you can ride them for up to several minutes at a time, traveling hundreds of meters on the crest of one wave
The story of conquering the giant waves of Nazaré
There are people in the world who “don’t feed them honey,” just let them conquer the biggest waves. They are usually called surfers. Probably, with the advent of boards, they began to collect the best places on the planet for their hobby. They did not ignore the waves near the city of Nazaré. Surfers were first noticed here back in the 60s of the last century. Since then they have been frequent guests here. But there is no data on conquering huge waves. Only in November 2011 did the world learn about the taking of the largest wave. Then Gareth McNamara, a surfer from Hawaii, conquered a wave 24 meters high. The brave comrade did not calm down and in January 2013 he broke his own record, taking on a 30-meter wave.
Gareth was the first to describe the sensations of such adventures. This proved incredibly difficult due to the unpredictability of wave behavior.
In this event, McNamara involved three assistants and one wife (his own). At the moment of wave formation, the first assistant on a jet ski tries to pull the surfer as high as possible onto the crest, and stays close to him for safety. Look at the photo of these waves, and you will understand that it is impossible to swim to them under your own power.
The second assistant runs a little further away and insures both of them. The third one keeps an eye on everyone else. And from the shore, a gray-haired wife watches everything and gives instructions to her husband on how best to catch the wave.
The first time everything went fine and no help was needed, but the second time proved the effectiveness of triple insurance. Then the first assistant was washed away from the jet ski by a wave, and the second assistant pulled out the surfer, and the third assistant pulled out the first one.
The danger of such adventures is extremely high, so surfers try not to climb waves 30 meters high unless absolutely necessary. They do it just for the records.
In October 2013, Brazilian surfer Carlos Berl rode a wave that was even bigger. But there is no absolutely accurate data on the height of the waves conquered, since it is quite problematic to take measurements.
Annual surf meeting in Nazaré
Despite the danger of such large waves, since 2016 a meeting or competition of surfers, the Nazare Challenge - WSL Big Wave Tour, managed by the World Surf League, has been taking place in Nazar. This competition brings together the best surfers from all over the world and lasts only one day. Moreover, it does not have a fixed date. It all depends on forecast sea conditions. The period of holding, or better to say waiting, is from October 15 to February 28. The day of the competition is confirmed 3 days before it takes place. This is the best that can be achieved with modern sea and wind forecasting technology.
This is a significant event for surfers. This is how one of the participants describes it:
“What followed after the starting signal was a dizzying, wild and unprecedented display of courage, stupidity and skill.”
Where is the best place to watch the biggest waves?
The best way to watch a giant wave is to stand on its crest on a surfboard. Any surfer will say that. Well, for ordinary tourists it is best to do this from Cape Nazaré, on which the lighthouse is located. Since the place is very interesting, you are unlikely to get lost. Fort San Miguel Arcanjo is also located here. You can also walk down to the sand on the beach via a dirt road, but be very careful. During the Big Wave season this is very dangerous.
Nowadays, in addition to the big waves, the attraction of Nazaré is the surfers who “ride” them. This, by the way, gives a good idea of the size of the waves. When you see a little man running away from a huge multi-ton wave, you can imagine how big and powerful not only the Russian language is, but also the Atlantic Ocean.
- As a rule, many famous surf spots have bottom topography similar to that near Nazaré, but on a smaller scale. The most famous are Teahupoo in Tahiti, Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii and Maverick’s Beach off the coast of California.
- Local fishermen have long been afraid of this place. Several shipwrecks have occurred here. At the bottom of the canyon there is a sunken German submarine from World War II.
