Every once in a while, a piece of content takes on a life of its own.
One of the most viewed videos I’ve ever posted online ended up reaching more than 19 million views across social media. It’s the kind of number that still surprises me when I look back at it. While the gear I used definitely played a role in capturing the moment, the real story begins with the place where it happened.
That place is Nazaré, a small fishing town on Portugal’s Atlantic coast that has become famous for producing some of the largest waves ever surfed.
If the name sounds familiar, it’s probably because Nazaré has been heavily featured in the HBO documentary series 100 Foot Wave, which follows surfers chasing some of the biggest waves on the planet.
I’ve been traveling to Nazaré for about a decade now. Most of those trips started as surf adventures with my friend Will. Over the years we’ve met up with legendary big wave surfers like Garrett McNamara and Andrew Cotton, both of whom helped turn Nazaré into one of the most iconic big-wave locations in the world.
During those trips I’ve spent countless hours walking around the cliffs, shooting near the historic lighthouse, and learning the best vantage points to film the action out in the water. After enough time there, you start to understand where the magic happens.
Why Nazaré Has the Biggest Waves on Earth
What makes Nazaré so special isn’t just the swell coming from the Atlantic Ocean. The real secret is hidden beneath the water.
Just offshore lies the massive Nazaré Canyon, one of the largest underwater canyons in Europe. It stretches for more than 130 miles and drops nearly three miles deep before ending close to the shoreline.
That canyon acts like a giant funnel for ocean energy.
When powerful North Atlantic storms send long-period swells toward Portugal, the waves travel across both the deep canyon and the shallower continental shelf at the same time. Waves moving over the deep canyon travel faster than the ones moving across the shallower seabed. When those wave systems meet near the coastline, they converge and amplify each other.
The result is a wave that grows dramatically larger as it approaches the beach.
When the swell direction, wind, and tides all line up, the ocean begins stacking enormous walls of water that regularly reach 30 to 50 feet. On exceptional days, those waves can explode past 80 feet or more.
It’s one of the few places on Earth where the ocean consistently produces waves of that magnitude.
The Surfers Who Helped Put Nazaré on the Map
One of the biggest reasons Nazaré became a global big-wave destination is because of surfers like Garrett McNamara and Andrew Cotton.
Garrett McNamara helped bring international attention to the town in 2011 when he rode what was then considered a world-record 78-foot wave at Nazaré. That moment helped introduce the spot to the wider surf world and kickstarted the modern big-wave scene there.
Andrew Cotton, a professional big-wave surfer from the UK, has also spent years pushing the limits at Nazaré. He’s known for charging some of the heaviest waves in the lineup and has become closely associated with the break. During a massive wipeout in 2017 he even suffered a broken back while surfing there, which shows just how dangerous waves of that size can be.
Together with many other big-wave surfers, they helped transform Nazaré from a quiet coastal town into one of the most famous big-wave arenas on Earth.
The Wave That Went Viral
The video that ended up going viral shows big-wave surfer Kai Lenny riding one of those enormous Nazaré waves.
Midway down the face, he pulls off a full 360, lands it clean, and rides out of it.
Seeing something like that happen on a wave that size is pretty surreal.
Over the years I’ve actually seen a few surfers attempt 360s out there and even posted one or two clips before. But for whatever reason, this particular video just caught fire online. Maybe it was the music I used, maybe the timing of the post, or maybe the internet simply decided it was the right moment to share.
Within a short time, the clip climbed to over 19 million views.
At the time I was also part of Instagram’s bonus program, so the reel actually ended up paying out a few thousand dollars as it spread across the platform.
The Camera Gear I Used to Capture It
Filming waves that far offshore requires serious reach and stability.
For this video, I was shooting with the Sony A1 paired with a 200–600mm telephoto lens. That lens gives you the ability to zoom in tight on surfers who are hundreds of yards away in massive surf.
Because I was filming from a cliff overlooking the ocean, keeping the camera steady was critical. I mounted the setup on an iFootage carbon fiber tripod along with a Manfrotto fluid video head.
When you’re zoomed in that far, even the smallest movement becomes noticeable in the footage. Add in strong wind on the cliffs and the weight of a big telephoto lens, and things can get shaky quickly.
Using a heavier tripod and fluid head helps stabilize the camera and smooth out those small movements, especially when you’re tracking waves for long periods of time.
What Actually Makes a Video Go Viral?
People often ask me what makes a video go viral.
The truth is, I don’t think there’s a perfect formula.
It’s not always about how many followers you have or even the equipment you’re using. Most of the time it comes down to the moment itself. If the content is exciting, surprising, or just visually incredible, people naturally want to share it.
That’s really the biggest lesson I’ve taken away from it.
Keep filming. Keep posting. Stay consistent.
Eventually the right moment will connect with the right audience.
And sometimes that moment just happens to be a surfer spinning a 360 on one of the biggest waves on Earth. 🌊📷
LINKS
Watch Instagram Video – https://www.instagram.com/reel/CgisFTeFFFR/
GEAR
Gear: Sony a1i – https://amzn.to/49tJ0ts
Sony 200-600 – https://amzn.to/3MNbLeQ
iFootage Tripod – https://amzn.to/4uf8cP5
Manfrotto 504x – https://amzn.to/4aXfi3j
Link To ALL Gear – https://www.amazon.com/shop/jaybelsky
