Nazaré - Giant Waves

This live camera shows Nazaré, a fishing town on Portugal's west coast that became world-famous for its giant waves. The view takes in the golden rock headland topped by the Nazaré Lighthouse, built on the old Fort of São Miguel Arcanjo, and the open Atlantic rolling in toward Praia do Norte. This is where some of the biggest waves ever surfed are born: the Nazaré Canyon, a deep underwater valley running toward the shore, focuses the energy of incoming swells and makes the sea rise dramatically. The big-wave season runs from October to March, when waves can top 20 metres and draw big-wave surfers, jet-ski rescue teams and crowds of spectators on the lighthouse cliffs. Outside the season, the camera shows the ebb and flow of the tides, sunsets over the ocean and the calm scenery of this stretch of the Portuguese coast. The stream is provided by the explore.org live nature cam network.