Meet Efruz, the Jack Russell terrier that loves to surf the waves of Peru

Mauro Canella and his dog Efruz ride surf in San Bartolo, Peru, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

LIMA, Peru — Clad in a yellow vest, little Efruz balances himself on the front of the surfboard as waves foam around him and his companion as they skim over the Pacific waters off Peru.

Efruz is a 4-year-old Jack Russell terrier and he is a common sight these hot days of the Southern Hemisphere summer.

"He loves the sea," says his owner, Mauro Canella, a surfing instructor at the beach in San Bartolo, a district 50 kilometers (30 miles) from downtown Lima.

Canella says they began surfing together about a year ago.

And they are not the only dog-human duo surfing the waves off San Baartolo. A dozen or more can be seen during a weekend.

Although Efruz gets cold as the hours go by, he appears to enjoy his new sport, planting himself at the front of the board while Canella crosses the waves standing, kneeling or lying flat.

As happens to all surfers, dog and owner occasionally are tumbled into the water when they fail to negotiate a wave.