The Waves Of Porthcawl Pier

On the southern coast of Wales sits a sleepy little town known as Porthcawl. With its beaches and fishing spots, Porthcawl is a fairly popular tourist destination, and one of the historic attractions is the Porthcawl pier and lighthouse, erected in 1860. In reality, the pier is not actually a pier—it’s a breakwater, which is more structurally sound and used to defend coastal towns from crushing waves. And when a storm sets in, those waves can reach epic proportions. The Porthcawl pier is a real testament to its builders, since it’s been battered by the sea for a century and a half and it’s still standing.

And this photo paints a perfect image of the sheer force of the waves slamming into the breakwater. How high is that wave? It’s hard to tell, but there’s a lighthouse in there somewhere.