Whale makes gold medal appearance during Olympic surfing shortboard semifinal

A special guest appeared Monday during the final day of Olympic surfing in Tahiti.

A whale shared the water a safe distance from athletes and fans during the first heat of the shortboard semifinal between Brazil’s Tatiana Weston-Webb and Costa Rica’s Brisa Hennessy.

The whale’s appearance made for a gold medal moment for spectators and Olympic photographers.

The Olympic surfing semi finalists had a WHALE stop by. #ParisOlympics 🐋 pic.twitter.com/r14xWnLTm4

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 6, 2024

Cameos from aquatic animals such as seals, sharks and whales are common in surfing. Whales typically gather in Tahiti during mating, birthing and migration season.

Pacific Indigenous leaders signed a treaty in April to recognize whales as legal persons, though a declaration isn’t reflected in the participating nations’ laws.

Weston-Webb won the semifinal heat with a 13.66 score to advance to the finals. She finished with a silver medal behind the United States’ Caroline Marks, who won gold with a 10.50 score.