Saturday night, April 23rd from 10:30 until it’s over. Kids are encouraged to attend!
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Here is a message from Venice Oceanarium!
“The grunion are running”: that’s the call of loyal grunion watchers, and on Saturday, April 23, at 10:30 PM, the grunion are running again. The event is slated to begin a few days after the full moon, so the beach should be bright. It will be at the Venice Beach breakwater on the beach just down from Windward Avenue.
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What is a grunion? A grunion is a fish that exists only around Southern California, between Santa Barbara and northern Baja. The amazing thing about grunion is that at various times during the spring, the female grunion LEAVE THE SEA and squiggle onto the beach and lay their eggs. They are followed by hundreds of lusty male fish intent on fertilizing these eggs. The seashore is covered by hundreds of sex-crazed fish.
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“Witnessing this event is life-changing. You’ll never feel the same about L.A. and you will never forget it. These memories are especially vivid for kids,” says Tim Rudnick, Director of the Venice Oceanarium.
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The Venice Oceanarium is a museum without walls that presents events on Venice Beach. It was started in 1996 and has been holding these grunion parties for twenty years. “We can accurately predict this event by observing the high tides during the spring. We have seen grunion almost every time we do this event,” says Rudnick. “We’ve only missed it twice in twenty years.”
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This year the Oceanarium will be conducting workshops at the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks at Oakwood Recreation Center and at the Windward Plaza Recreation Center. Also, the Oceanarium will set up an information booth on the beach at the breakwater on night of the run. Grunion eggs will be hatched that night and released into the sea, and information about the natural history of grunion will be given.
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This event has become a tradition in Venice. Kids are especially encouraged, but adults love it too. Bring a blanket to sit on, a warm jacket and clothes you can get sandy and wet. Come and enjoy this natural marvel.
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Sponsors of the event include General Management Real Estate, Shout! Factory, the County of Los Angeles Beaches and Harbors, Venice Beach Suites, Hotel Erwin and the Venice Boardwalk Association. Media sponsors include The Argonaut, Venice Paparazzi and Yo Venice.
Location: Venice Breakwater: 1800 Ocean Front Walk. Venice, Ca 90291. Street parking or metered parking on Windward Ave. Oceanarium will have an information booth on the beach at the breakwater on night of the run.
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For more information, contact: www.veniceoceanarium.org.
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About the host: The Venice Oceanarium, a museum-without-walls, holds weekly, free of charge, local ocean life exhibits on Venice Pier, late night Grunion Run Parties on Venice Beach, as well as educational nature walks along the seashore, local ocean life display and lectures at schools, community organizations, birthday parties, festivals, and special events such as the annual MOBY DICK readings… and more!
For more info, visit www.veniceoceanarium.org
