Events Calendar
Venice Ocenarium The Grunion Run
How do they know that the grunion will run on April 4th?
The answer is in the sky. When the Moon and the Sun align with the Earth there is a high tide. A few days later the grunion will run.
What is a grunion? A grunion is a fish about 6 - 8 inches long; about the size of a sardine. It is silver and has a bright blue stripe on its side. Grunion are found from Santa Barbara all the way to the Baja Peninsula. But that is the extent of its range here in Southern California. It does not stray further, instead remaining near enough to its spawning ground to repopulate its species.
The amazing thing is that at several times during springtime the females literally leave the sea. Squiggling onto the beach, they use their tails to dig holes in the sand in which to lay their eggs. Hundreds of male grunion arrive next, also squiggling through the sand, intent on fertilizing the eggs.
This is a sight to behold with the sand covered by hundreds of fish.
You are cordially invited to witness this extraordinary event on April 4th, 10:30 pm at the Venice Breakwater rocks.
Venice Ocenarium The Grunion Run
Date and Time
Saturday Apr 4, 2026
10:30 PM - 11:45 PM PDT
Location
Venice Breakwater rocks.