Breaching Whale Steals the Show During Paris Olympics Surfing Semifinal in Tahiti

The surfing semifinals at the 2024 Olympic Games had a surprise guest! 

On Aug. 5, while Brazilian athlete Tatiana Weston-Webb and Costa Rican athlete Brisa Hennessy competed in a women's semifinal surfing match at the French Polynesian Island of Tahiti, a whale breached in the distance, providing a perfect photo opportunity. 

According to the Associated Press and CBS News, in Tahiti — home to the Paris Games' surfing competition — whales gather around the islands during mating, birthing, and migration season. Tahiti also has several maritime protected zones.

The French Polynesian island, located around 10,000 miles from the French capital city, was chosen for its legendary Teahupo'o wave, per CBS and BBC Sport. 

Frenchman Kauli Vaast, born on the island, won gold in the men's Olympic surfing competition. Team USA star Caroline Marks scored gold in the women's competition on Aug. 6, beating Brazil's Weston-Webb, 28, who finished in second place.

The whale breach comes after another show-stopping moment in the surfing competition at the Paris Games. 

A photo of Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina appearing to float mid-air went viral on July 29 after photographer Jerome Brouillet from Agence France-Presse captured the moment.

In the picture, Medina, 30, placed his hand in the air and pointed his finger to the sky as his surfboard hovered behind him, still attached to his ankle. 

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Medina, who scored a record-making 9.90 during the third round of the surfing contest, finished in the bronze medal position behind Vaast, 22, and Jack Robinson of Australia.

The photo has garnered nearly 9 million likes on Medina's Instagram alone. Photographer Brouillet shared on his Instagram that "Gabriel was in the water at the right place, at the right time, and so was I," and his phone still "hasn't stopped beeping."

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