Whale makes surprise appearance at the Olympics

Image source, Reuters

Image caption, The whale made a surprise appearance during the Olympic surfing semi-finals

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games have been full of some incredible moments from athletes around the world.

But one unique gate crasher has been "making waves" at the surfing semi-finals in Tahiti.

A huge humpback whale was photographed leaping out of the water, giving both the athletes and fans a special Olympic moment to remember.

More on the Paris Olympics

Image source, Reuters

Image caption, Humpback whales can be found in Tahiti's warm waters between July and November

Surfers Tatiana Weston-Webb of Brazil and Brisa Hennessy of Costa Rica were competing on the day when the spectacular appearance happened.

One announcer described the moment as "incredible," while another one said "That鈥檚 a 10 right there. That's a perfect 10."

All the athletes were safe as the whale was far away from any of competitors when it was seen emerging from the water.

And although the whale was a pleasant surprise for many, the giant mammals aren't new to the waters of Tahiti.

Each year, humpback whales travel to its warm waters between the months of July and November where they go to breed and rest, as well as look after their young.