Hawaiian Carissa Moore and Brazil’s Italo Ferreira claimed wins in top-quality surf at the New Zealand Pro in Raglan on Monday, after a delay caused when an in-water photographer was injured by what was thought to be a shark or a sea lion.

Hosting a full world championship tour competition for the first time, Raglan’s famously long left-handers turned up in perfect form on Monday, with glassy, overhead green walls wrapping around the boulder-strewn point.

Olympic and five-times world champion Moore scored the highest two-wave total of the year, 19 out of 20, in her semi-final on Sunday.

She started strongly in Monday’s final against 20-year-old Californian Sawyer Lindblad, kicking off with an 8.50 out of 10 for a series of powerful carves on her backhand.

Lindblad kept in touch with a 7.67 for some speedy turns on her forehand on the wave behind and then took the lead with an even better 9-point ride on a clean, steep wall.

But Moore, making a comeback after taking time off to have her first child, fought back on a bigger wave and powered her way to 9.4 and a two-wave total of 17.9.

“When I walked away two years ago, I didn’t know if I’d ever get this feeling back or this opportunity to surf perfect waves with only one other person out, in front of a beautiful crowd and at a beautiful place, with my family on the beach,” said the 33-year-old.

“And in that process, you doubt yourself so much, so the win, it means so much to me.”

Ferreira’s final against Morgan Cibilic was an exercise in contrasts, with the goofyfoot Brazilian repeatedly taking to the air on the long left-handers, while the Australian employed sharp turns on his backhand.

Cibilic took the early lead, following up an early 7-point ride with an excellent 8.8 for a 15.8 point two-wave total.

Ferreira’s progressive approach and unmatched aerial assault, however, was favored by the judges as he racked up an 8.17 and a 9.33 for a 17.50 total as he spun and carved his way down the point.

“I knew this event would be sick because on the left-handers, we can do some different types of maneuvers,” said the Tokyo Olympic gold medalist, who moved to the top of the world rankings.

Earlier, during Ferreira’s semi-final against compatriot Yago Dora, a photographer suffered what organizers called a “wildlife injury,” forcing the event to be put on hold for a couple of hours.

The photographer was treated for puncture injuries but was in a stable condition and in good spirits, the World Surf League said.

WSL tours and competition vice president Renato Hickel told the event broadcast they were unsure what kind of animal had caused the injury.

“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.”

Wildlife attacks during surf events are rare but not unprecedented. World champion Mick Fanning famously tussled with a shark during the final of a WSL event at South Africa’s Jeffreys Bay in 2015.

The 12-stop tour next heads to the steamy right-hand point break of Punta Roca for the Surf City El Salvador Pro.