SAN DIEGO COUNTY — Grunion, the small silvery fish that come ashore to burrow into the sand and spawn, are currently in their spawning season along the Southern California coast, including San Diego County.
The fish are active for two hours each night from Wednesday to Saturday, as reported by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
They synchronize their spawning with the tides around the new and full moons, where a female grunion can lay about 3,000 eggs in one go, totaling up to 18,000 throughout the season.
The male then fertilizes the eggs before returning to the ocean, a natural occurrence known as a grunion run.
The grunion mating season spans from spring to summer. Excellent viewing spots for their final runs until the next mating season include the Santa Monica Beach and pier area, as noted by CDFW.
The anticipated grunion runs for this spring are as follows:
- Wed., March 18: 10 p.m. – Midnight
- Thurs., March 19: 10:25 p.m. – 12:25 a.m.
- Fri., March 20: 10:55 p.m. – 12:55 a.m.
- Sat., March 21: 11:30 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.
They are expected to appear in several locations in Los Angeles County, including:
- Malibu Cove
- Santa Monica Beach and Pier area
- Redondo & Torrance Beach
- San Pedro area beaches
- Cherry Beach in Long Beach
Additional locations in Southern California include:
- Surfer’s Knoll (Ventura County)
- Seal Beach (Orange County)
- Huntington State Beach / Huntington Pier (Orange County)
- Newport Beach / Balboa Peninsula (Orange County)
- Capistrano State Beach / Doheney Beach (Orange County)
- Carlsbad State Beach / Tamarack (San Diego County)
- Cardiff-by-the-Sea Beach / San Elijo (San Diego)
- Coronado Ferry Landing Beach (San Diego)
“Generally, more fish are seen during the second hour than in the first, so patience is key,” stated CDFW.
They also advised that specific beaches for viewing grunion should not be recommended due to changing safety conditions and local curfews.
