A whale has breached the ocean in spectacular fashion as surfers competed in the Olympic competition in Tahiti.

The surprise ‘photobomb’ came as Tatiana Weston-Webb from Brazil and Brisa Hennessy of Costa Rica took part in the semi-final.

Luckily, the whale was a long way behind the pair as it launched itself into the air.

It’s not unusual for seals and whales to be seen during surfing events – with a shark attack on Australian pro Mick Fanning famously caught on camera in 2015.

The whale picture is also the second eye-catching image from this year’s Olympic surfing event.

Last week, a photo of Brazil’s Gabriel Medina seemingly levitating above the ocean with his arm raised went viral.

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Tahiti, in the South Pacific – and part of French Polynesia, is about 10,000 miles from Paris.

It is hosting the surfing because it’s a famous location for the sport and organisers say “it offers an opportunity to engage French overseas territories”.

It’s the second time surfing has been included in the Olympics after its debut in Tokyo three years ago.

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