What are extreme waves?

Extreme waves are super big waves that can surprise even the strongest ships.

Imagine you're playing in a pool. Most of the time, the water is calm and gentle, just like when you splash around with your friends. But sometimes, out of nowhere, a huge wave crashes into the pool, it might even knock you off your feet! That’s kind of what happens with extreme waves in the ocean.

Most waves are made by the wind pushing on the water. But extreme waves can be much taller and more powerful than regular ones. They’re like the big brother of normal waves, bigger, stronger, and sometimes harder to notice until they hit.

These waves don’t just come from one direction either. Sometimes, two or more waves meet in the middle of the ocean, and together they make an even bigger wave, it’s like when you jump into a pool with your friend, and both of you splash at the same time!

Ships might feel like they're riding a rollercoaster when these waves hit them. That’s why sailors sometimes call extreme waves “ships’ nightmares”, because they can be really hard to deal with!