- [Narrator] To some, big
waves mean big adventure, but if you're anything like Me, something like this, (waves roaring) or this (waves roaring) makes you feel seasick! There are places all around the globe renowned for their gigantic waves, and only the most skilled, brave, and crazy people in the
world have the guts to try and conquer them. But the cleverest also make
sure to get it on camera! (dramatic music) Nazaré Nightmares. Let's start our thrill-seeking hunt in Nazaré, Portugal. Daredevils all over the world
know the name of this place because of the sheer size
of the waves that are seen off its coast. Like this monster captured
on camera back in 2014. Just look at the size of it! (waves roaring) But there's actually a lot more going on beneath the water. You see, underneath the
surf lies Nazaré Canyon, an undersea canyon which
has a maximum depth of about 16,000 feet. Normally, when waves
travel towards a shore they're slowed down as
the bottom of the ocean gets shallower. But in Nazaré, the canyon causes the water to get incredibly deep before its approach to the shore, resulting in waves that climb really big, really suddenly! That's why world record
breaking surf records are usually made here, like this once 78 foot
world record breaking ride from Garrett McNamara back in 2011. How does he make it look so easy? Well I'm not so sure about easy. McNamara later revealed
that the water hitting him from that height felt like a ton of bricks smashing onto his shoulders. And if you thought that wave was scary, check out this one, surfed
by Lucas Chumbo Chianca on February 2017. (waves roaring) Between October and March, high winds blowing in from
the North Atlantic Ocean generate waves like this, some of which can be over 100 feet tall. So, when I tell you the
current world record for largest wave ever surfed is this 80 foot high beast, I expect a standing ovation. This madcap is Rodrigo Koxa, who smashed the previous
world record in 2018 by surfing down this gigantic wave. (light melodic music) I was the one attempting a feat like that, the sea wouldn't be
blue, it would be brown! Before we look at even more massive waves, make sure to sail on over to that like and subscribe button. I put out new videos every day, so instead of searching the seven seas for your amazing fact fix, just head over to Be Amazed and smash that little bell
icon so you never miss out on new content. Are you ready for your
next adrenaline rush? Let's go! Tsunami Scare. You'd be forgiven for
thinking that the power of a massive wave comes
only from its height, but footage from the
Japanese tsunami of 2011 proves that wrong in a terrifying way. After a magnitude 9.0 earthquake
off the coast of Tōhoku, the Japanese coast guard
encountered this behemoth wave just 3.3 miles from the shore. (people talking indistinctly) But how could a wall of
water that long and high just suddenly appear in the ocean? Well, during the earthquake the seabed on one side of a fault line had suddenly lifted. This lifted a vast expanse
of water along with it, called a tsunami front. According to the estimates
of the panicked coast guards this particular front
was some 30 feet tall, leaving them with no choice
but to try and get over it! (people talking indistinctly) But then it gets worse. A second wave was suddenly reported less than one and a half miles from their location. As the earthquake continued
to jolt the seabed, it sent out another tsunami front. But this one was apparently
even bigger than the one before! (people talking indistinctly) With so much force behind them, these massive waves traveled
about six miles inland. As you can see in this
jaw dropping footage, they damaged almost
everything in their wake. Entire villages and towns were swept away, and the Japanese government estimates that five million tons of
debris were swept offshore! Damage costs from the
earthquake and tsunami soared to $300 billion, while 20,000 people were reported dead and another 2,500 missing. Sadly, many are still
unaccounted for to this day. Biscay Bedlam. The Bay of Biscay is notorious
for its violent storms and large waves because it's exposed to the rough Atlantic Ocean. But even on a calm looking day, the seas of this bay definitely
aren't to be trusted, not even by sturdy oil
and chemical tankers. Just take a look. (people talking indistinctly) This tanker, called the Pink Coral, was sailing to Rotterdam
when it encountered a huge rogue wave that
rocked the entire ship from side to side. And that's no small feat seeing as the Pink Coral
is over 100 feet in width! For to some perspective,
that's almost the same as rocking a Boeing 737 nose to tail. Rogue waves, sometimes
called freak or killer waves, are extreme waves
whipped up by high winds. These gigantic walls of
water can be more than twice the height of the surrounding waves, and as their names suggest, they're almost totally unpredictable. Because if you could foresee such bone-chilling displays of nature, who in the right mind would
willingly sail out into them? Not me, that's for sure. Cruise Ship Chaos. If you ask me, cruises are
meant to be relaxing vacations exploring the world by sea. Alas, I've never been on one, mainly because I'm not
a 60-year-old divorcee who enjoys cabin fever
and terrible buffets. But even I know they shouldn't
roll around like this. (items creaking) This is the MV Viking Sky cruise ship, caught in the waves of a terrible storm off the coast of Norway back in 2019. The ship was carrying
1,300 passengers and crew when it lost power and was pummeled by the extreme weather. Reports even stated waves in this area reached almost 60 feet in height! Usually the hulls of these
ships are broad enough to prevent big waves from
tilting them this badly. But when you consider that the ship itself is only about 100 feet wide,
and was dead in the water, it's not surprising
that it was threatening to do a barrel roll. (people talking indistinctly) But MV Viking Sky isn't
the only cruise ship to have been challenged
by some giant waves. Just take a look at this
soul-crushing footage supposedly taken from the
bridge of the P&O Adonia, then known as the Sea Princess. This footage, uploaded in
2008 shows a cruise ship dropping down the back
of wave that was so high, it caused the bridge crew
to smash into the floor! (bang) Whilst the description of this footage claims it's the Sea Princess, there are no reports
that the ship was caught in these drastic conditions. However, around the same time in 2008, the cruise ship Pacific Sun
was caught in a hellscape of 50 knot winds and 25 foot waves, about 400 miles off the
coast of New Zealand. CCTV footage shows the tilt
of the ship was so steep that furniture was flung across the rooms, and around 40 guests were injured. (light upbeat music) Are there any self-proclaimed
armchair detectives out there who can tell me
whether these two bits of footage could actually be from the same event? If you guys have any stories of your own about getting caught in
some gnarly weather at sea, let me know down below. I'll grab a paper bag and get back to some of my favorites. Aircraft Carrier vs Typhoon. Seeing ships and surfers
getting battered by waves is one thing, but watching
an aircraft carrier battle against the
giant waves of a typhoon has to be one of the most macho events ever caught on camera. Around 2008, the USS Kitty
Hawk was making its way along the North Pacific Ocean when it encountered Typhoon Fengshen, with winds of 51 miles per hour that whipped up waves around 38 feet high. Considering this aircraft
carrier measures over 200 feet from the waterline to its highest point, these waves were hardly a threat. Although, it's pretty incredible to watch something that cost $400 million to build getting thrown about like
a toy boat in a bathtub. But with all that money,
couldn't they have installed something a little more impressive than those school-bus
style windshield wipers? Kitty Hawk-ward! Tanker versus Monster Waves. If these single giant waves
already had you trembling in your boots, imagine facing
a whole series of them. Just take a look at this footage of a small bulk carrier ship, which is a kind of merchant ship, taking on the giant waves
of a West African storm. (light melodic music) These are way more than just choppy seas. Whilst the channel deepsea that uploaded this
ungodly footage to YouTube didn't mention where the storm took place, they do state that the waves
were about 20 feet high. That may not seem like much, but wave after wave of
this power and height has the potential to
do some serious damage. And if you ask me, those waves look a lot
higher than 20 feet. What do you think? Give me your best guesses
in the comments below. Oil Rig Rollers. Choosing to work on the
open sea is one thing, but opting to live on an oil rig means you can't always
escape the giant waves coming your way. Just ask the crew of the Dunbar Oil Rig. Located off the UK's east coast, this static rig is
planted to the ocean floor and has a deck that's 164 feet long, 98 feet wide and 72 feet high. That's one massive structure! That is, until you compare it to the waves that pummeled it on Christmas Day in 2013. (waves roaring) That gaping void beneath the deck looks like it's almost the
same height as the deck itself. That means the water
surges filling that void and hammering the rig must
have been about 70 feet tall. Apparently, the waves were
so violent that morning, they woke up all the staff. What a terrifying gift to receive
from mother nature herself on Christmas Day! But not all components
of oil rig operations are planted to the ocean floor. Take the Borgholm Dolphin for example, which is a floating accommodation platform around 145 miles east of Scotland. That's right. This semi-submersible
accommodation station stays anchored to the
spot using an electric and hydraulic mooring winch system. And thank God it does,
otherwise these giant waves might have dragged the rig ashore. (waves roaring) When hurricane-force winds
of 113 miles per hour ripped across Scotland back in 2015, they whipped up colossal
waves that can be seen rising to the platforms full height. Anyone else feeling a
little sea-sick right now? North Sea Surge. The Southern Ocean isn't
the only sea famous for its deadly conditions. Between the UK and Norway
lies The North Sea, and thanks to its hellish weather and high number of shipping accidents, it's considered one of the
world's most dangerous seas. Single waves in this
region have been known to reach a monstrous 83 feet in height. But scientists believe
they can get much bigger. Don't believe me? Just take a look at this footage taken from the bridge of a
vessel in North Sea storm. (waves roaring) (sailor laughs) You can hear a Scottish sailor laughing with what can only be
described as delirium at such a lucky escape. What is it with sailors laughing at these near-death experiences instead of pooping their pants with fear? Especially when you consider that according to the British
publication, The Express, that wave reached a
colossal 100 feet in height. Had that ship been any smaller, the force of the water could easily have spelled
disaster for them. How do you think you would have reacted if you were on the bridge of this ship? Tanker Trouble. Do you remember Storm Nemo from 2013? It was a huge blizzard that battered the northeast of America and Canada, forcing governments like
those of Massachusetts and New York to declare
a state of emergency. Whilst most places were dealing with almost three feet of snow and winds of up to 105 miles per hour, those at sea had an even worse time. Not only were they battling
all those elements, but they also had a series
of 30 to 40 feet waves to deal with. (waves roaring) Usually, ships like this 748 feet tanker try to avoid high caliber storms. It prevents the likelihood
of them being rolled over by powerful waves and becoming
accidental submarines. But being caught short around 700 miles off the coast of Newfoundland in winds of almost 90 miles per hour clearly gave this captain
no choice but to press on. (waves roaring) They bravely ploughed on through those horrifying looking waves, but that camera man must
have been certifiably crazy to step out onto the deck. (waves roaring) Would you have braved the extreme weather just to get these waves on camera? Let me know in the comments. Storm Shocker. The waves of the North Sea
are hardly a laughing matter. Footage captured on an Emergency
Response and Rescue Vessel from 2016 shows how Storm Gertrude whipped up some stomach-churning waves, with many estimated to
be almost 100 feet high. (waves roaring) These incredibly brave
teams are responsible for the safety of people
on offshore installations. Boats like this are only launched when weather conditions are too severe for normal rescue craft. Even so, these boats only
reach about 160 feet in length, and against powerful 100 feet waves they tend run the risk of
needing their own rescue team. Just listen to the sound of the vessel creaking under its own weight (waves roaring)
(vessel creaking) It's amazing that the ship hasn't sunk under the weight of the
crew's iron determination! Big Wave Brave. As staggering as the waves
of Storm Gertrude were for this incredible rescue vessel, they weren't the largest
they've ever encountered. Back in 2013, this commendable crew, who are dedicated to two oil platforms around 115 miles north
east of the Shetland isles, hit some rough weather. (waves roaring) But wait, that was the good part. Because in the pitch black of night, these rolling waves became
utterly nightmare inducing. (waves roaring) That may have made some
of you feel sea-sick, but it's not over yet. Just wait until you see the
mother of all monster waves that they had to face head on. (waves roaring) How on earth are these guys laughing? My heart's pounding so
hard from watching this that I just inadvertently
reached for my water-wings. But how about you? Would you have the courage to ride out any of these staggeringly sized waves? Or have you seen any
that were even bigger? Let me know down in the comments below, and thanks for watching! (light melodic music)
