PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: Safety first! As Trump plotted Iraqi strike, shirtless Barack Obama went paddleboarding in Hawaii while wearing an $84 'SHARK DETERRENT ankle band' - despite his armed Secret Service protection

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Former President Barack Obama is enjoying an extended vacation in his home state of Hawaii, and on Thursday was photographed paddleboarding in black swim trunks in the Pacific Ocean — all the while his successor President Donald Trump was ordering an airstrike on Iran.

Obama, 58, appeared to be enjoying himself in the water when he was photographed around noon on January 2, standing atop a light-colored paddleboard and paddling himself around, while wearing an $84 'shark deterrent band' around his ankle. 

Though video shows him stumbling and falling off the board a few times, the former president mostly had a good time, according to a photographer who captured the fun. 

There he goes! Former President Barack Obama was spotted paddleboarding in Hawaii on January 2

Whoops! At one point captured on video, the 58-year-old lost his balance and fell backwards into the water

Time off: Obama has been enjoying an extended vacation in his home state of Hawaii since before Christmas

Not alone! A Secret Service agent in a bulletproof vest followed him nearby in a kayak - and for added protection the former president was wearing an $84 Sharkbanz 'shark deterrent band' on his right ankle

Swim trunk weather: Obama wore a black swimsuit with a ying-yang printed on the site

Obama could have been any vacationer as he headed out on the board. He wore just a black swimsuit with a ying-yang on one leg, forgoing sunglasses on what was a sunny day. 

What is a shark deterrent band and how does it work?

According to manufacturer Sharkbanz, its 'shark deterrent band', which retails for $84, relies on 'patented magnetic technology' to 'create an effective shark deterrent'. 

The company says the patented technology was developed by marine biologists, and is aimed specifically at 'predatory shark species'.  

'When sharks approach Sharkbanz, they detect the device’s strong electromagnetic field, which provides a sudden sensation that is thousands of times stronger than the signal produced by anything in a shark’s normal food chain,' the website claims. 

'Consequently, sharks are deterred away from Sharkbanz. This cause and effect is analogous to having a bright light suddenly shined in your eyes in a dark room. You would not be hurt, but you would want to turn away.'

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Of course, he isn't just any vacationer, and wider shots reveal a Secret Service agent in a bulletproof vest moving close behind him in a kayak.

And for added protection during his outing, Obama also strapped an $84 'shark deterrent band' from Sharkbanz around his ankle. The rubber band, which can be worn on the wrist or the ankle, claims to 'deter predatory shark species' using 'technology developed by marine biologists'.  

'Sharkbanz’s patented magnetic technology is the result of long term, ongoing scientific studies and testing,' the brand's website claims. 'Sharkbanz utilize powerful permanent magnets to create an effective shark deterrent that’s always on and requires no batteries or charging. 

'When sharks approach Sharkbanz, they detect the device’s strong electromagnetic field, which provides a sudden sensation that is thousands of times stronger than the signal produced by anything in a shark’s normal food chain. Consequently, sharks are deterred away from Sharkbanz. 

'This cause and effect is analogous to having a bright light suddenly shined in your eyes in a dark room. You would not be hurt, but you would want to turn away.'

Though Obama is an experienced paddleboarder — and has been pictured doing it in the past with his wife, Michelle Obama — he wasn't fully stead on his feet during the entire outing.

At one point caught on camera, the former president began to wobble on the board, trying to regain his balance as the water tipped him in different directions. He lost the battle, though, falling backwards into the water and making a splash.

However, he soon got back up again and was back on the board, paddling himself in a kneeling position before getting back on his feet. 

While Obama is kicking back in Hawaii, Trump was planning an airstrike on Iran that took place today, which killed Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani, one of the country's top military leaders. 

The move came in light of an escalating conflict in the Middle East: After an American contractor was killed in Iraq and four military members were injured by an Iranian-backed militia, the US retaliated with a strike that killed 25 members of the militia. 

Safe: Obama could have been any vacationer as he headed out on the board with his feet safely attached with ankle cuffs

On the water: He has been pictured paddleboarding before and seems to know what he's doing, though he did lose his balance a couple of times

Getting wet: Stills taken from a video show him wobbling before falling backward off the board

Making a splash! After falling, though, he picked himself up and got back on the board

Militia members then attacked the US Embassy in Baghdad, after which Trump planned the most recent attack.

Republican lawmakers have praised the move as a show of strength.

'Wow — the price of killing and injuring Americans has just gone up drastically,' Senator Lindsey Graham wrote on Twitter, while US Representative Kevin McCarthy said in a statement: 'In a display of resolve and strength, we struck the leader of those attacking our sovereign U.S. territories.'

Democrats and several other world leaders, however, have slammed the strike, criticizing Trump for escalating a conflict in a dangerous way.

'President Trump just tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox,' Joe Biden said in a statement. 'The Administration's statement says that its goal is to deter future attacks by Iran, but this action almost certainly will have the opposite effect.'

Bernie Sanders has also called it a 'dangerous escalation,' while Elizabeth Warren deemed it 'reckless.'

French Secretary of State for European Affairs Amélie de Montchalin also blasted the move, and UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said that following Soleimani's death, 'we urge all parties to de-escalate. Further conflict is in none of our interests.'

Even Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the killing of an Iranian general in a US drone strike risked 'aggravating the situation' in the Middle East. 

Going home: Obama is originally from Hawaii and spends quite a lot of time there, especially around the holidays

Loving the warm weather! He seems to enjoy water sports and is making the most of his vacation

Strong: The former president is in fairly good shape and showed off his physique in just his swim trunks

Outdoor activities: He'd previously been pictured golfing in Hawaii in mid-December

Since then, Iran has vowed 'harsh retaliation' for the strike near Baghdad's airport. 

Obama, still vacationing in Hawaii, hasn't weighed in on the conflict.

He and his family arrived in Hawaii via a private plane on December 16, kicking off their regular family trip for Christmas and New Year's.

The former president is originally from Hawaii, and usually spends the time enjoying the weather while catching up with friends and family. 

In the past two weeks, he has been photographed enjoying some fun and relaxation, particularly out on the golf course.

On December 18, the same day his Trump was impeached, Obama teed off in Oahu alongside his old school friend Bobby Titcomb at the Mid-Pacific Country Club. 

The pair were classmates at Punahou School in Honolulu, where Titcomb — who has worked as a commercial fisherman and an airline employee — was a year behind Obama. 

Wearing a bright purple shirt, off-white shorts, a white cap, white Nikes, and an Apple watch, he was pictured smiling and waving as he made his way around the course. 

The next day, December 19, he was back on the links, playing at a golf course at a Marine Corps base.

Sweet: On December 19, he was playing at a golf course at a Marine Corps base when he took some time to hold a three-month-old baby

Making the rounds:An Instagram video shows him meeting and holding another baby 

 'Hi baby!' Obama says to baby Levi (pictured), a nine-week-old boy whom he also takes into his arms

 'How you doing?' Obama asks the baby, bringing the child up close and while holding his small hand

That's where Tiffany Lewis, 29, who lives on the base with her husband and three-month-old baby, spotted the former president and raced down to the course to catch up with him.

In a moment captured on video, Obama held Tiffany's daughter Riley, whom he called 'cutie pie,' and joked that he couldn't help Riley when she gave him a hungry stare.

'I was just in awe,' the mom told Good Morning America. 'I look back at the pictures and I look so crazy because my mouth was just wide open in shock.'

Little Riley isn't the only baby that met up with the president in Hawaii. An Instagram video shows him meeting and holding another baby.

'Hi baby,' he says to baby Levi, a nine-week-old boy whom he also takes into his arms. 'How you doing?' 

Levi and his mom, Krystle Ilar, met up with Obama on Sunday at the Mid-Pacific Country Club in Lanikai, reports the Huffington Post. 

Then, last night, he and Michelle dined at Ya-Ya's Chophouse and Seafood in Kakaako with a group of family and friends, according to Hawaii News Now.

The couple's daughters, Malia and Sasha, had joined them in Hawaii for Christmas, but they've now left to start their spring semesters at Harvard and the University of Michigan, respectively.