With all eyes on the ocean during the final day of the Paris Olympic Games At the Tahiti surfing competition on Monday afternoon, a surprise guest appeared: a whale.
At a safe distance from athletes Tatiana Weston-Webb of Brazil and Brisa Hennessy of Costa Rica, who were competing in a semi-final match, a whale burst in and offered spectators and photographers an incredible Olympic moment.
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Most of the events at the Paris 2024 Olympics are taking place in and around the French capital, but the surfing competition took place about 10,000 miles away in the waters off the French Polynesian island of Tahiti, which was chosen for its The legendary wave of Teahupo’o.
Frenchman Kauli Vaast, born on the island, won gold in the men’s event. Johanne Defay won bronze for France in the women’s event.
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It is not uncommon for wildlife such as birds, seals and even sharks to appear while people are surfing all over the world.
In Tahiti, whales congregate around the islands during mating, calving and migration seasons. Tahiti also has several protected marine areas.
In April, Pacific indigenous leaders, including some from Tahiti, signed a treaty recognizing whales as “legal persons,” although such a declaration is not reflected in the laws of the participating nations.
Haley Ott contributed to this report.
