‘Wildlife injury’ forces New Zealand surfing event to be put on hold

AdvertisementNew ZealandAsiaAustralasia‘Wildlife injury’ forces New Zealand surfing event to be put on hold

A sea lion is suspected to have bitten a photographer shooting the World Surf League in the water

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ReutersPublished: 8:58am, 25 May 2026A photographer shooting the final day of the World Surf League (WSL) in New ⁠Zealand was injured by what organisers suspect was a sea lion or shark bite on Monday, forcing the event to be put on hold for several hours.

The New Zealand Pro semi-final between Brazilian world champions Yago Dora and Italo Ferreira at Raglan was halted after the ‌in-water photographer suffered puncture wounds and needed medical attention, the WSL said.

“This morning one of the water photography team suffered a wildlife injury,” said WSL deputy commissioner Renato Hinkle.

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He said the photographer had small puncture wounds. “He’s OK, he’s on his way to a hospital. We are in constant communication with him, he’s in a stable condition.”

Hinkle earlier told the event broadcast they were unsure what kind of animal had caused the injury.

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“At this stage we’re not ‌certain if it was a shark or a sea lion. The doctor that was here helping on the scene was inclined to think ‌it was a sea lion instead of a shark,” he said. “Nevertheless, very scary.”

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