All About Grunion Runs in California

Grunion are small sardine-like fish that only exist off the southern coast of California & on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. They are known for their unusual “Grunion Run” ritual where they squirm and mate on the beach at night during high tides that usually coincide with full moons. These runs usually last for two hours between the hours of 10:00pm and 2:00am and happen for four straight evenings. The first one is in March and the last one occurs in late August. If you haven’t observed a grunion run before, add it to your To Do List!

Check our Grunion Run Schedule to see if one is happening near you soon. These runs can be seen on almost any sandy beach in Southern California, but here’s a list of the Grunion Run Beaches where they are more likely to occur.