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Now I also understood why almost every published photo from big Nazaré swells is taken from way up the cliff: Down at the lighthouse or even at the beach all you would get on your sensor would be an immense whiteout of foam and spray.
The hills above the cliff were now filled with spectators. It was like a huge amphitheatre and even from the upper ranks you could see incredible walls of water approach the canyon. It was late afternoon now and wind had started to drop while the peak swell was supposed to arrive now with an incredible 5 to 6 meters and a period of 20 seconds. Swell sizes and especially periods like this are something very rare for the North Atlantic and the last (and first) time I had witnessed something comparable was in February 2007 in Ireland (see this story).
Set waves were feeling the ridges of the canyon far out at sea now, where the waves started to rise to ridiculous heights, keeping them for a long time while slowly getting bent by the reef until they reached the point of no return in front of the lighthouse and exploded with deafening thunder while the cliff was swept with boiling white water.
Watching this utterly beautiful and at the same time intimidating display of ocean energy was a transcendent experience. And it wasn´t just me to be absolutely awe-struck, all the other spectators and photographers and camera men were standing up there in devotional silence too. What was easily overlooked – especially with the low standing sun blinding you – was, that within these liquid mountains, there were still some tow teams out.
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