Massive rogue wave
A massive ocean wave that was tracked off the west coast of Vancouver Island in 2020 is now considered the most extreme rogue wave ever recorded, according to scientists at the University of Victoria. At 17.6 metres tall, the rogue swell reached as high as a four-storey building when it was detected near Ucluelet in November 2020.
Scientists have been attempting to measure rogue waves since 1995, when the first such wave was recorded off Norway at a height of 25.6 metres.
Known as the “Draupner wave,” it was spotted amid 12-metre seas, placing it at just over double the height of the surrounding waters.
While the Draupner wave was taller than the rogue wave measured off Ucluelet, the Ucluelet wave was nearly triple the height of the surrounding six-metre swells, and was therefore more “rogue” than its predecessor.
