storms

Pacific Storm - December 2023

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A massive swell slammed into the coast from California to Alaska on December 28th, bringing with it monster waves of epic proportions. Swell heights off the west coast of Vancouver Island, where these were shot, reached 20 feet/6 meters. It’s such a raw and powerful experience to witness this explosive energy up close. The roars resulting from millions of litres of water moving with an incomprehensible amount of force are ferocious. They’re balanced by the delicate wisps and hiss of spray that kiss the air. It can hard to grasp the scale of the waves in these pictures but the biggest could have swallowed a small house. See the seagulls in some shots for scale

PSA: Always respect the forces of Mother Nature and keep yourself safe if venturing out in extreme conditions. Having experience with specific locations is important for better predicting safe shooting/viewing zones. Watch out for rogue waves, rolling logs, and flying debris. Never turn your back on the ocean and always have an escape plan. Then enjoy the show!

Big Waves - West Coast Van Isle 2021

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Big waves measuring 20ft or 6m tall barrelled into the west coast of Vancouver Island earlier this month. The sun was out as well, giving them a beautiful blue-green colour. It almost looked like Hawaii! Seagulls surfed the sky above, providing a sense of scale. All in all, it was one of the most breathtaking days I’ve ever spent at the ocean! Fine art prints are available here: www.tjwatt.com/prints. If you don’t see the image you’re looking for, just shoot me an email at: prints@tjwatt.com and we’ll get it sorted out!

MEGA Wave Day - Round II

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The forces of nature once again aligned and unleashed a mind-blowing display of raw power and beauty along the west coast of Vancouver Island this past Sunday. A 6.5m/20ft+ swell combined with a king tide to produce waves of enormous size that thundered and roared against the rocks. This day was on par with the huge waves I photographed earlier this year in January. Never thought I would see something so impressive again! Humbling to say the least. Fine art prints available at: www.tjwatt.com/prints or email prints@tjwatt.com if you don’t see the one you’re looking for.

* The photos are now reaching the news! See a CTV article here and KOMO News article here.

Storm Watching at Second Beach - La Push, Washington

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I spent the first week of the New Year visiting the Olympic National Park in the United States. The weather forecast was for huge amounts of wind and rain - not exactly what you’d typically look for in a vacation! Thankfully, we got the wind but not much of the rain. Here are some shots from Second Beach in La Push, which turned out to be an incredible place to watch the giant waves crash onto the coastline. We stayed nearby in a cabin at the Quileute Oceanside Resort - a perfect place during storm season!! Highly recommend checking them out: https://quileuteoceanside.com/. Have fun out there!

MEGA Wave Day at Sombrio Beach

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The biggest waves I've ever witnessed hit the west coast of Vancouver Island yesterday. The swell forecast was 7.5m/25ft and it did not disappoint!! Sombrio was madness and the explosions off the point were hard to comprehend. Facing them head on was like a real life IMAX show - both in scale and sound! Storm watching is one of my all-time favourite things 🌊😆🌊 Here are some pics of the action!!
PS: No one in these photos was swept away. It’s a bit of an optical illusion with them being safely down the coast from the wave.

Fine Art Prints

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Wild Sea
Wild Sea
from CA$75.00
Dancing With The Storm
Dancing With The Storm
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Storm Chaser
Storm Chaser
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Sombrio Sea Mist
Sombrio Sea Mist
from CA$75.00

Sombrio Storm Waves - New Year's Day, 2020

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Kicked the first day of the decade off with a trip to watch the waves out at Sombrio Beach. The massive surf has been non-stop this winter and it’s a blast to watch it crash onto the rocks! The power is insane…