Monster ride: Surfer catches 'world's biggest wave'
updated 2:39 AM EST, Wed January 30, 2013
- Garret McNamara's wave believed to be 100 feet high
- Small Portuguese fishing village has some of the world's most dangerous surf
- Giant swells generated by unique deep water canyons
(CNN) -- He is but a dot in the ocean, gathering speed and rapidly rising as a mammoth wall of water expands below and behind him.
Simultaneously fearsome and awesome, this may be the moment Hawaiian rider Garret McNamara on Monday broke his own record for the largest wave ever surfed.
Caught off the coast of the small fishing village of Nazaré, Portugal, the monster wave was reported to be more than 100 feet high, or 30.5 meters.
Anderson Cooper interviews McNamara
"It was just this endless drop and my feet were popping out of the straps," McNamara told CNN's Anderson Cooper. "It was like my whole body was shattering. It was really difficult."
If accurate, the wave towers over his 2011 surf of a 78-footer (24 meter) at the same location. Nazaré officials have requested an impartial verification of a possible new world record.
Thanks to one of the only deep water canyons in the world that connects to shore, Praia do Norte -- the north beach of Nazaré -- sees abnormally large waves.
McNamara: "One of the hardest, longest drops."
A group of extreme surfers descended on the Portugal coast this past week, providing some amazing experiences for onshore observers and some very social media-friendly video and photos.
McNamara was first invited by the Nazaré Town Hall in 2010 as part of a three-year project to explore the local coast's unique geomorphic phenomenon and to bring more awareness to the area as a destination for big-wave enthusiasts.
Though onlookers were spellbound by McNamara's ride, the surfer said he didn't get that much of a rush.
"I don't know what's wrong with me. There's definitely something wrong," McNamara said in his interview with Cooper.
Part of complete coverage on
What do you get when you combine Malay, Chinese and Indian influences on a plate? An addiction to Malaysian food.
updated 6:57 AM EDT, Fri June 14, 2013
Pilot and photographer remember Kai Tak airport -- from the fondest to the scariest moments.
updated 9:18 PM EDT, Sun June 9, 2013
Indoor basketball courts, island-sized balconies, museum-worthy bathrooms -- America's got some crazy indulgent hotel suites with price tags to match.
updated 6:32 AM EDT, Wed June 12, 2013
Brazil and beaches go together like bossa nova and "The Girl From Ipanema."
updated 5:45 AM EDT, Mon June 10, 2013
Upper-class versions of the British national dish.
updated 4:22 AM EDT, Thu June 6, 2013
Is it possible to rank the world's best beaches?
Put that iPod away -- these top rock spots don't guarantee sunshine, but they do guarantee a summer 2013 to remember.
updated 4:54 PM EDT, Tue June 18, 2013
The Airbus A350 XWB takes to the sky for the first time. It's been a long time coming. Can it compete with Boeing?
As in, literally cool. The Philippines isn't just for bikinis -- cold weather attire is sometimes required.
updated 6:11 PM EDT, Thu May 30, 2013
Here's a question for die-hard "Game of Thrones" fans.
updated 3:10 PM EDT, Wed May 29, 2013
Peru packs a ton of diversity between its sea level elevation Pacific beaches and the 22,204 foot top of its highest mountain, Nevado Huascaran.
You're espressoed up, you're Colosseumed out -- time to venture to Italy's coast, where dazzling-sea time awaits.
Magnificent landscapes, rock-hewn churches and lots of baboons make this African country a true travel secret.