Rogue waves (also known as freak waves)¹⁾, which can reach more than twice the average wave height, do exist and occur many times per day. Occasionally reaching the height of a 10-story building, they can pose a threat to even the biggest ships.

In just the last two decades, severe weather has been blamed for the loss of over 200 ships over 600 feet long, and rouge waves were the main suspect in many of the cases ²⁾.

An experimental demonstration of the spontaneous generation of rogue waves in a wave tank can be viewed on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0psJp6I2Z0