Full Breakdown
Unusual Marine Visitors Arrive Off Southern California Amid El Niño Warmth
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El Niño Drives Warm Waters Northward
Rising sea-surface temperatures linked to El Niño are pushing water off the Southern California coast toward the 80 °F mark. Scientists note that the warming creates conditions normally found farther south, allowing tropical species to migrate northward. The phenomenon has been described as “still early” in the season, with the potential for further temperature increases through the fall.
Fishermen Report Rare Sightings
Local fishermen have documented an unprecedented assortment of marine life. Juan-Carlos Aguilar, a longtime fisherman, observed a large school of sicklefin devil rays while spearfishing near Catalina Island. Commercial fisherman and aerial spotter Carl Sbarounis reported multiple devil-ray species—including a bent-fin devil ray and the endangered spinetail devil ray—alongside a juvenile whale shark cruising between Santa Barbara Island and Malibu. Sbarounis noted that sightings of these rays in Southern California have been limited to two or three events over the past 15–20 years.
Data & Observations
- Sea-surface temperature: approaching 80 °F off Southern California.
- Species recorded: hammerhead sharks, a whale shark, sicklefin devil rays, bent-fin devil rays, spinetail devil rays, and juvenile whale shark.
- Geographic range: sightings span from Catalina Island north to Newport Beach and Malibu.
Verbatim Quotes
- “They were just moving very graciously as they do and looking like stealth bombers of the sea, if you will,” — Carlos Aguilar
- “I was in one area and I saw some and then I was leaving the area and I saw another kind. So I videotaped those also. I'm like wow, this is different... Then I was leaving again to continue on my scouting and I saw another one that was pure black,” — Carl Sbarounis
- “That's as far up as I've ever seen one. The last two I saw, one was at Catalina and one was down towards San Clemente Island,” — Carl Sbarounis
These firsthand accounts illustrate the surprise and excitement among those who encounter the atypical visitors. While the exact duration of the warm spell remains uncertain, the current observations suggest that El Niño is temporarily expanding the habitat range of several tropical marine species along California’s coastline.