Most of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games have been held in Paris. The surfing competition, however, took place some 9,800 miles from Paris in the French Polynesian island of Tahiti.
NPR reports that while Brazil’s Tatiana Weston-Webb and Costa Rica’s Brisa Hennessy were waiting for waves in the surfing semifinals, they spotted an unexpected spectator — a humpback whale breaching not far offshore.
“Wow,” breathed one of the commentators as the scene unfolded. “That’s incredible.”
“That’s a 10 right there,” said the other.
The Olympic surfing semi finalists had a WHALE stop by. #ParisOlympics 🐋 pic.twitter.com/r14xWnLTm4
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 6, 2024
American Caroline Mark ultimately brought home the gold for Team USA. Weston-Webb took home silver, and France’s Johanne Defay clinched bronze. Unfortunately, the whale was not awarded a medal.