( 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 . `` 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 . 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 did n't get that much of a rush . `` I do n't know what 's wrong with me . There 's definitely something wrong , '' McNamara said in his interview with Cooper .
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 .