Grunion season has arrived — an it’s a great excuse to go to the beach at midnight.
The annual Southern California celebration heralds the tiny fish that mate on the sand on beaches stretching from San Diego to Santa Barbara.
Orange and Los Angeles counties — and beyond — see lively grunion season activity from the tiny fish that seem to prefer sloping beaches where high tide pushes waves beyond the normal water line, protecting eggs.
Protected beaches, such as those behind the breakwater in San Pedro Bay, are especially popular with the fish. So San Pedro’s Cabrillo Beach (the inner harbor), for example, is known for hosting annual grunion runs that combine fun activities and education. That seasonal celebration kicks off at 9 p.m. Friday, April 7, and will continue through June 19.
This year’s schedule includes a special night on April 21, with World of Sound Productions bringing 500 headphones so guests can have a silent disco dance party at two locations, the Cabriillo Marine Aquarium and the beach.
“We are stoked to collaborate with Cabrillo Marine Aquarium,” said Adam Malovani, founder of World of Sound Productions, which also stages events in Hermosa Beach and Santa Monica. “This is an epic location.”
But the grunion will remain the star of the show.
During grunion season, the silvery, smelt-like fish sweep onto shore to mate, with crowds of people gathering to watch what has been called one of the most unusual phenomenon in the natural world.
The female grunion are the first to surf to shore, aiming for the highest point on the beach, pushing their tails into the sand.
Males follow, wrapping their bodies around the females for a 30-second mating ritual.
Then it’s right back out to sea for them.
The females take a bit longer to dig out of the sand, but they eventually follow.
The eggs left behind — there can be up to 3,000 of them in a pile — then stay buried until the next high tide rolls in a couple of weeks later,…
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