Grunion Run: How To See Them In SoCal

SAN PEDRO, CA — Grunion — tiny fish whose spawning is a spectator event at the ocean each year — are returning to SoCal beaches this season.

Catching the grunion run can be tough, but over the last few days, the fish have already put on a show in the sand, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department lifeguard division.

"It has been an active grunion run over the course of the last few nights at Cabrillo Beach," lifeguard officials said Monday on Instagram. "Grunion are a small silver fish that inhabit the nearshore waters off the coast of Southern California waters."

Grunion are about 5 to 7 inches long. And from March to August, thousands of female grunions come onto the beaches at high tide to spawn. They embed themselves into the sand to lay eggs — about 3,000 at a time — then wait as male grunions fertilize them. The eggs will hatch approximately 10 to 14 days later, the new fish swimming away with the tide.

Their remarkable mating behavior happens during the months of March through August. Grunion season is currently closed, which means that the current run is for observation only.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife offers a schedule of expected grunion runs. Other runs are expected in June.

The spawning period usually lasts four nights, starting on the night of a full or new moon. The last run of the year starts in late August.

The department gives a few guidelines for catching grunion, which is only allowed from June to the end of March each year.

• Only use your hands to catch grunion. Digging holes in the beach or using equipment to catch the grunion is not allowed.
• Must be 16 years old or older to catch grunion.
• Must have a valid California sport fishing license to catch grunion, even if you plan to release them.
• Only take what you can use, as wasting fish is illegal.