On the final day of the Paris Olympics surfing competition in Tahiti, as all eyes were on the waves, a surprise visitor emerged: a majestic whale.

At a safe distance from athletes Tatiana Weston-Webb of 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.

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 nearly 10,000 miles from Paris, whales gather around the islands during mating, birthing and migration seasons.

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 is not reflected in the laws of participating nations.