SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, Calif. (VVNG.com) — One of California’s most remarkable natural spectacles is set to unfold once again this week as thousands of California grunion are expected to emerge from the Pacific Ocean and spawn on sandy beaches during evening high tides between July 14 and July 17, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
The annual grunion runs attract wildlife enthusiasts, photographers and families eager to witness the unique phenomenon, where the small silvery fish leave the ocean completely to reproduce. The event occurs only during specific nights following the full and new moons when tides are high enough to carry the fish onto the beach.
Unlike most fish, California grunion spawn entirely out of the water. Females ride the waves ashore, arch their bodies into the sand and use their tails to burrow until only their heads remain above the surface. They then deposit their eggs while one or more males wrap around the female to release milt, fertilizing the eggs before the fish quickly return to the ocean with the receding waves…