By Jenna Cobb
Members of CNC’s Continuing Connections alumni & friends program at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium for the grunion run.
On Sunday, June 23, members of Continuing Connections (CNC’s program for alumni and friends) traveled to Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro to witness the grunion run. What is a “grunion run,” you might ask? California grunion are small, silver fish only found along the coast of Southern California and northern Baja California. They have the unique behavior of emerging completely from the sea to lay their eggs on the wet sand of the beach. This phenomenon is called a grunion run. Grunion runs happen all over Southern California between March and August and generally occur on the 2nd-5th nights following the night of the new or full moon when the tide is highest. Depending on the conditions, there may be up to thousands of grunion present on a beach during a grunion run.
In California, it is legal to catch grunion during open season (March, July, and August). The little silver fish can be grilled, fried, and even made into fish sauce! For people 16 years and older, a CA fishing license is required to harvest grunion. Grunion must be taken by hand only, and 30 fish can be harvested per day. However, even if you’re not interested in catching grunion or it is closed season, just observing the grunion run is a spectacular experience! According to CA Department of Fish & Wildlife, “Some of the beaches in Southern California that are known to have runs are: the beach between Morro Bay and Cayucos, Pismo Beach, Santa Barbara, Malibu, Santa Monica, Venice, Hermosa Beach, Cabrillo Beach, Long Beach, Belmont Shore, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Corona del Mar, Doheny Beach, Del Mar, La Jolla, Mission Beach and the Coronado Strand. The beaches near Ensenada in Baja California also have good runs.” One of the best ways to find out which beaches have had recent runs is to call state or county beach lifeguards who can often share if spawning has taken place. You can also find the annual Expected Grunion Run Times and tips on how not to scare off the grunion on the Department of Fish & Wildlife’s website.
Grunion looking to mate during a grunion run.
After the Continuing Connections program’s experience at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium’s “Meet the Grunion” event, we highly recommend observing a grunion run there. Not only did the aquarium staff guide our observations of the run, but we also visited the aquarium, watched a short educational film about grunion, and hatched grunion eggs while learning the grunion dance! The aquarium puts on multiple “Meet the Grunion” events per year. Participants shared that the experience made them feel very “awed,” “spirit bound,” and “peaceful.” Grunion run season ends in August, so we highly recommend you experience the magic of a grunion run next month or next season!
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