The Vibe Check on California Beaches
If you were lowkey planning to ditch the sweltering heat by hitting the sand, you might want to rethink your plans. Los Angeles County health officials are sounding the alarm, warning that some of our favorite beaches have high bacteria levels that totally exceed state health standards.
Where to Avoid
If you're wondering which spots are officially off-limits for swimming or surfing, the list includes parts of Santa Monica Beach, Paradise Cove, Redondo Beach, Venice Beach, Topanga County Beach, and Manhattan Beach. Depending on where you go, the warning covers anywhere from 100 yards of the shoreline to the whole swimming zone.
It’s not looking great for Redondo Beach and the area near the Manhattan Beach Pier—Heal the Bay actually gave both an ‘F’ grade on its latest Beach Report Card. On the bright side, Malibu Lagoon at Surfrider Beach and Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro are back in the clear and have been removed from the warning list.
Why It Matters
Real talk: this is super annoying because we are in the middle of a brutal, long-lasting heat wave. The National Weather Service says the heat is expected to linger well into mid-October, thanks to a strong El Niño pattern. This basically means we are all desperate to cool off, but the water currently comes with a major risk of getting sick. Stay safe, check the latest reports before you go, and maybe find an AC-cooled spot to chill until the water quality improves.
