Praia do Norte in Nazare along Portugal's central coast is no stranger to large waves, and German surfer Sebastian Steudtner (above) seized the opportunity to drop in on a giant one on Thursday.

Nazare's undersea geography includes a deep canyon, which creates ideal conditions for forming large waves generated from winter storms in the North Atlantic.

In November 2011, surfer Garrett McNamara rode a record-breaking giant wave: 23.8m high from trough to crest at Nazare.

The big waves generally appear during the winter season - typically between October and February - although they do not appear every day and are dependent on storms in the high seas.