grunion are runnin
Every two weeks from March to August, little fish called Grunion spawn on beaches along Central and Southern California. Grunion spawn out of water and lay their eggs in the sand, where they stay until they hatch at the next high tide a couple weeks later and are washed to the sea. The schedule is published online (to the hour!) and the strangest part (to me, at least) is how accurate the schedule can often be. I walked down with my neighbor Laura last night to see if they were indeed out, and sure enough, they were. Her dog, Yogi, who already loves a rare run on the beach was beside himself as he discovered all these silver creatures flopping around. I was worried he was going to try to bite or eat one, but he seemed thrilled just in sniffing and bouncing from one to another as he chased the waves. After a little while and a soaked and sand-covered dog, we left the Grunion be to do their thing. It's always amazing to see nature on display right in your front yard.