Don’t Miss the Grunion Run at Oceanside Beaches!

The Oceanside Grunion Run is a great way to have a wacky California nature experience like the ones on TV! During spring and summer seasons, the grunions (basically small, silvery fish) ride the waves to the shore and squirm up in the wet sand to lay their eggs.

Grunion Runs 2017 Schedule

The schedule for the Grunion Runs is an estimation for the nights and hours when the grunions will most likely arrive. The Grunion Run times for Oceanside beaches do vary March – August so be sure to check the Visit Oceanside Event Calendar and the California Fish & Wildlife Expected Grunion Runs often for specific days and times you are most likely to witness the spectacle.

Grunion

[image by ercwttmn, Flickr Creative Commons]

What makes this experience worth seeing?

Not only is the grunion’s mating ritual unique to other fish (literally, a fish out of water!), but imagine trekking the beach in the late-night after hours and seeing the ground jumping alive with movement and activity from countless little grunions… it’s a natural spectacle and a true Southern California experience! Plus, during certain months of the year those who are at least 16 and have a California fishing license can also participate in grunion hunting, but leave the poles at home; these fish have to be caught with your hands…. no digging holes to trap them either! Click here to learn more about the rules of grunion hunting as well as the open hunting season dates!

Catching Grunion [image by ercwttmn]

Some facts about Grunion:

During the Grunion Run, female grunions manage to partially bury themselves in the sand to lay their eggs.
Female grunions can lay anywhere from close to 2,000 to close to 4,000 eggs!
Male grunions will also come ashore to fertilize the eggs.
Grunion eggs take about a week-and-a-half to hatch, when the high tide returns.
Grunions travel in big schools, effectively covering the beach with fish during peak times of the Grunion Run.