A Whale of a Security Breach at Olympic Surfing Semis

The Paris Olympics surfing competition in Tahiti has yielded some bonkers photos, but with all eyes on the ocean during the final day of competition on Monday afternoon, a surprise guest made an appearance for one more: a whale. A safe distance from athletes Tatiana Weston-Webb from Brazil and Brisa Hennessy of Costa Rica—who were competing in a semifinal match—the whale breached and gave spectators and photographers the Olympic moment of a lifetime, reports the AP. NPR notes that the whale's performance immediately captivated the Olympic commentators, with one gushing, "That's a 10 right there."

It's not uncommon for wild animals such as birds, seals, and even sharks to appear while surfing around the world. In Tahiti, where the 2024 Olympics surfing competition was held almost 10,000 miles away from the host city of Paris, whales gather around the islands during mating, birthing, and migration season. Tahiti also has several maritime protected zones. In April, Pacific Indigenous leaders—including some from Tahiti—signed a treaty recognizing whales as "legal persons," although such a declaration isn't reflected in the laws of participating nations.

(More 2024 Paris Olympics stories.)