Brazilian surfer Maya Gabeira has been credited with setting a world record for the largest-ever wave surfed by a female earlier this year.

The 31-year-old Gabeira caught the 20.72 meter wave in January off the coast of Nazare, Portugal.

The record was confirmed this week, and Gabeira was recognized for her achievement at a ceremony in Portugal.

It is the first time a woman was recognized for a biggest wave award in a separate category, something Gabeira herself had lobbied for since 2013.

That year she was knocked off her board and nearly drowned attempting to catch a giant wave in Nazare.

Some of the largest surfable waves in the world routinely form off the coast of Nazare each year. Scientists say a combination of weather conditions and underwater geological formations contribute to the phenomenon. (VOA)