Perry played a buccaneer alongside Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth film in the franchise.
He also made a name for himself as a pipeline surfer, conquering 20ft waves at some of the world’s most prestigious events.
Kurt Lager, the acting head of Honolulu Ocean Safety, announced the loss of “one of our own”, calling Mr Perry “a lifeguard loved by all”.
“He’s well known on the North Shore. He’s a professional surfer known worldwide,” Mr Lager told a packed news conference. “Tamayo’s personality was infectious and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more.”
‘A legendary waterman’
Rick Blangiardi, the mayor of Honolulu, also paid tribute to Mr Perry, calling his death “a tragic loss”. “Tamayo was a legendary waterman and highly respected,” he said
Jason Bitzer, a close friend of Mr Perry, wrote on Facebook: “The things we have seen. My brother in Christ, I love you, brah… I won’t get over this till I see you in heaven.
“Tamayo Perry you weren’t my friend, you were my brother. The pain we’re collectively feeling is immense.”
Mr Perry began surfing at the age of 12 and went on to tackle what became known as the world’s most dangerous wave at the legendary Pipeline Masters, winning the competition in Oahu in 1999.
Chasing the biggest waves
By the mid-2000s he was one of the world’s most prominent pipeline surfers, renowned for his bravado in chasing the biggest waves.
On his website, Mr Perry wrote that he was proud to prove that “this small time island boy can bang it out with the world’s best”.
Mr Perry appeared in several Hollywood blockbusters, including Blue Crush and the Charlie’s Angels sequel Full Throttle. He also played minor roles in hit TV shows Lost and Hawaii Five-0.
In Hawaii, there are an average of 5.8 shark attacks annually. Last year, local surfer Jason Carter was killed by one of the animals off the coast of Maui.