These South Bay Beaches Received An A+ From Heal The Bay

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — Four out of seven Los Angeles County beaches that made this year's Heal The Bay Honor Roll were in the South Bay.

Heal The Bay is a nonprofit that releases beach report cards each year, utilizing an A through F grade. Those that meet the criteria to receive an A+ make the nonprofit's Honor Roll list, while those with an F make the "Beach Bummer" list.

Beaches with an A or B grade are usually monitored constantly by various local and state health agencies and sanitation departments and have good water quality that is safe for recreational use, according to the nonprofit.

The agencies test water samples for fecal indicator bacteria (FIB): total coliform, fecal coliform (E. coli), and Enterococcus species, the nonprofit said. When a beach has high levels of these pathogens, it receives a C to F rating due to the increased health risks they pose.

Over 500 California beaches were monitored this year, with only 62 making the Honor Roll. Only 12 beaches made the list last year, according to the nonprofit.

Los Angeles County was among the cities that had no beaches included in the last two reports, but it made a "significant improvement" in 2025, with seven.

Of those seven that received an A+ grade, four were in the South Bay: Hermosa Beach, Long Point in Palos Verdes, Manhattan Beach, and the Portuguese Bend Cove.

Dockweiler Beach, Nicholas Beach at San Nicholas Canyon Creek Mouth and Nicholas Beach (area located 100 feet west of the lifeguard tower) were the three other Los Angeles County sites that made the Honor Roll.

Only one beach got an F rating, making the Beach Bummer list: Santa Monica.

Santa Monica Pier, a frequent Beach Bummer, ranks second this year due to ongoing persistent water quality issues," the nonprofit said in its report. "Despite upgrades like stormwater capture systems and bird deterrent netting, pollution remains a problem, worsened by urban runoff and high levels of activities at the Pier."