Heal the Bay Blog

Malibu Approves Plan for Wastewater Plant

01.16.2015 | Matt King

Heal the Bay policy analyst Peter Shellenbarger reports on promising developments to clean up Malibu’s water pollution.

Jan. 16, 2015 — Malibu is one of the most breathtaking and desirable places to live in Southern California, but it has a dirty little secret – septic systems in and around its cultural center are fouling nearby coastal waters. Malibu Creek, Malibu Lagoon, and the surrounding ocean, including Surfrider Beach, are critically polluted and numerous studies point to septic systems as a major contributor. Swimmers who recreate in these waters run the risk of all kinds of illnesses.

Heal the Bay has called for the Malibu Civic Center’s septic systems to be replaced by a centralized wastewater treatment facility for over a decade. It has been a long and bumpy road, with officials complaining about costs and some residents worried about the specter of development if sewers are put in. But our advocacy is finally starting to yield tangible results.

The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board adopted a Septic Prohibition in 2009 that requires the phasing out by 2019 of all septic systems in the Malibu Civic Center Area (think Malibu Pier, Pepperdine, Malibu Bluffs Park). Earlier this week, the Malibu City Council unanimously certified the Civic Center Wastewater Treatment Facility Final Environmental Impact Report. Improved water quality in the Civic Center Area depends on this project, which could be funded by an assessment on property owners or a loan from the state to the city.

While this is good news, the Malibu City Council’s certification of the Final Environmental Impact Report is just one piece of the puzzle that needs to be completed before the facility can break ground, hopefully by early next year. More permitting from various bodies awaits, and the city must determine the final funding mechanism. Stay tuned.

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Beloved Surfer Succumbs to Staph Infection

01.09.2015 | Heal the Bay

News

3 Life-saving Rules:
After a rainfall of any severity, wait at least 3 days before entering the ocean.
Always swim at least 100 yards away (the length of a football field) from a stormdrain outlet.
Check the Beach Report Card for the most recent beach water quality grades before you head to the beach.
For more safety tips, visit our Beach Report Card FAQ page.

Barry Ault was 71, but you’d never have guessed it watching him surf. His style was daring and athletic, winning him the admiration of a generation of California surfers—as well as the U.S. Surfing Championship in the Master’s Category in 1970. But on Christmas Day, he fell victim to the waters at Sunset Cliffs, his break in San Diego. It wasn’t a rogue wave or freak accident, but something much smaller, more insidious: a staph infection.

All signs point to polluted ocean water as Ault’s killer. The heavy rains that pummeled Southern California the week before Christmas sent billions of gallons of untreated urban runoff through the stormdrain system and into the ocean. His deadly strain of staph likely originated in this toxic brew. Ault, like countless other hardcore surfers, couldn’t resist the perfect post-storm waves and ignored the three-day rule, which urges beachgoers to wait 72 hours to enter the water after a rain in order to let harmful pathogens disperse. Sadly, his decision—an all-too-common one—had lethal consequences.

Ault’s death struck a deep emotional chord with Heal the Bay and the surfing community, and we weren’t even sure if we should publish this blog out of concern about appearing opportunistic. But in the end, we decided to honor Ault’s legacy by reminding other Californians that water quality isn’t an abstract scientific concept—it can mean life or death.

Heal the Bay has been Southern California’s coastal water quality watchdog for 30 years. Our Beach Report Card is already an indispensable safety tool for surfers and swimmers, but it’s about to get even better: We’re working to upgrade California’s current coastal public notification system to include beach water quality forecasting technology…so we never, ever have to write another blog like this one.

San Diego Surfer Barry Ault Succumbs to Staph Infection

Barry Ault, pictured doing what he loved the most: surfing and boating. Photo courtesy of The Inertia.

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Narrowing the Options for Saving Broad Beach

12.22.2014 | Sarah Sikich and Dana Murray

Marine Protected Areas News

Heal the Bay staff scientists Sarah Sikich and Dana Murray report on the latest efforts to save Malibu’s troubled Broad Beach from erosion and sea-level rise.

Ocean waves lapping against a golden sandy strand of beach in Malibu, low tides exposing rocky reefs full of tidepool animals in Lechuza Cove, and a healthy beach dune habitat providing homes for endangered snowy plovers and sand dune critters. Is this the Broad Beach of the past, or a vision of the future if environmentally sound restoration comes to this erosion-challenged shoreline?

Since a rock revetment was placed in front of homes in this well-to-do community four years ago, the beach has seriously eroded. Faced with sea level rise and waves eating away at the beach in front of their properties, homeowners are proposing a combined rock revetment and sand nourishment project to restore the beach and protect their homes — a fate that the California Coastal Commission and State Lands Commission will ultimately decide.

If approved, the undertaking would be the largest beach nourishment project in the state. But the stakes are much greater than the fate of this one mile stretch of sand. What happens at Broad Beach is a bellwether for how California beachfront communities address climate change and sea level rise, stressors that are sure to increase in the coming decades.

In 2010, the Coastal Commission granted the Broad Beach homeowners an emergency permit to quickly build a rock revetment wall to protect 78 beachfront homes during a winter of severe storms. The emergency permit has since expired and the rock revetment is no longer permitted, so homeowners are proposing a new project that would bury the existing rock revetment with over 600,000 cubic yards of sand to form dunes and nourish the scoured-away beach.

After years of collaboration and research, a coalition of environmental nonprofits led by Heal the Bay and the Surfrider Foundation presented thoughtful recommendations to the California Coastal Commission at its December meeting on how to balance coastal habitat protection with home protection through the proposed Broad Beach restoration project. The good news is that we witnessed strong leadership and efforts to protect the environment from Coastal Commissioners, which resulted in the homeowners withdrawing their project proposal after a seven-hour discussion to make some refinements based on the recommendations provided at the hearing.

Although Heal the Bay supports the idea of a restored sand dune and beach system at Broad Beach, the project as proposed would bury tidepools and seagrass habitat in the adjacent marine protected area and threaten water quality along this popular stretch of coastline. We have been working with homeowners and agency staff to recommend a project that meets the needs of the homeowners, while protecting the unique habitats off Broad Beach.

The need to protect marine life and water quality resonated with the Coastal Commissioners at the hearing. Following an hour of presentations by Coastal Commission staff, the homeowners, and environmental nonprofits, a lengthy discussion ensued among the Commissioners.

Most Commissioners indicated support for many of our recommended changes to the project, such as limiting beach and dune nourishment activities to regions that would least impact the marine protected area and getting rid of septic systems along the beach. Great environmental leadership and direction were especially shown from Commissioners Bochco, Zimmer, Groom, and Shallenberger. Commissioner McClure chimed in on water quality and said: “The residents of Broad Beach need to fix their toilets. No. 1 issue. There needs to be an aggressive plan for septic systems.” She also emphasized the importance of marine life protection: “We need to protect our MPAs … We have some of the best protections in the world. … We can’t be putting hundreds of thousands of yards of sand in an MPA where we have important marine life.”

However, just as the Commission made a motion to vote to approve the project with many of our recommended improvements, the homeowners stepped up to the podium and withdrew their application. Realizing that the vote would likely require significant changes to their project, the homeowners elected to spend more time working together to refine the proposed project and resubmit their application to the Coastal Commission early next year. We hope to see more of the science-based recommendations we have been advocating for in the next version of the project.

Heal the Bay will continue to work to ensure that the biggest proposed beach nourishment project in California is the least environmentally damaging as possible, and sets a good precedence for adaptation to sea level rise. We will also advocate for strong monitoring of whatever project moves forward at Broad Beach, as there are many questions about coastal environmental impacts of such a large-scale project and the stability of a dune restoration atop a rock wall.

Stay tuned.

broad beach

Sea level rise and erosion have taken their toll on Malibu’s Broad Beach.

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Special Holiday Hours at the Pier Aquarium

12.19.2014 | Heal the Bay

California Sharks Heal the Bay Aquarium Santa Monica

Have a houseful of holiday guests? In need of an outing that won’t add too much stress to the already over-stretched wallet? Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium knows you’ll be looking for a fun destination to entertain all ages. Our marine science center will be open special holiday hours beginning Friday, Dec. 26th through Dec. 31st. Visit any of those days from 12:30 to 5:00 p.m.

Tuesdays are feeding days, and visitors are invited to help feed the sea stars at 2:30 p.m. A presentation and feeding at the open top shark and ray exhibit can be a refreshing experience, as the sharks often spray water right out of their tanks while anticipating their meal.

Any day of the week, guests can play hide and seek with an octopus, get a hug from a sea urchin, test their water conservation knowledge at the Watch Your Water exhibit, or put on a puppet show in the Aquarium’s puppet theater.

The Aquarium will be closed New Year’s Day, and return to regular public hours on Friday, January 2nd, which begin at 2 p.m.

Festive Seahorse in a Santa Hat

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As the Septics Seep: A Malibu Soup Opera

12.18.2014 | Heal the Bay

Malibu / Pacific Palisades

Peter Shellenbarger, a Heal the Bay science and policy analyst, tries his hand at Hollywood with a hotly anticipated “soup opera.” As the Septics Seep is his artistic interpretation of the Malibu Civic Center Septic Saga, where Mrs. Water Quality and Mr. Civic Center navigate the sordid, stinky world of Malibu water politics.

As The Septics Seep

Any relationship has its ups and downs—especially one between a coastal city and its water quality.

The backstory

In 2006, Malibu Creek, Malibu Lagoon, Malibu Beach, Malibu Surfrider Beach and Carbon Beach (in the Malibu Civic Center area) were placed on the Clean Water Act’s list of impaired and threatened water bodies. Septic system discharges were identified as contributors to this impairment in 2009 and a Septic Prohibition was issued. In 2011, the City of Malibu agreed to build a centralized wastewater recycling facility to phase out septic systems in the Civic Center area. However, just this month, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board approved an extension for the phase-out, giving commercial and residential properties 20 extra months and three years, respectively, to remove their septic systems. These extensions undermine the Septic Prohibition and will allow the City of Malibu to continue discharging septic system effluent into already critically polluted waterbodies. This month’s decision is another setback for water quality in Malibu and showcases the Regional Board’s historical inability to hold the City of Malibu accountable for their septic system discharges, which impact human health and aquatic life in and around Malibu Creek and Lagoon.

Cast (in order of appearance)

Sheriff U.S. E.P.A.: Tall, stern water quality enforcer
Mrs. Water Quality: Peppy environmental scientist
Mr. Civic Center: Distinguished landowner of Civic Center Area in Malibu
Officer L.A.W. (L.A. Regional Water Control Board): Overworked, tired water quality engineer

Season synopses

S1 Sheriff E.P.A. comes to town and nails Malibu Creek, Malibu Lagoon, Malibu Beach, Malibu Surfrider Beach and Carbon Beach for public intoxication. Loaded with bacteria and nutrients, she places these waters on the critically polluted list for further investigation and future cleanup. Mrs. Water Quality begins to investigate the cause of pollution…and catches the eye of Mr. Civic Center in the process.

S2 Mrs. Water Quality identifies septic systems as a source of bacteria and nutrient pollution at Mr. Civic Center’s residence. Officer L.A.W. assesses the situation, conducts further studies, consults with other officers and creates a Septic Prohibition at Mr. Civic Center’s residence. This will require him to phase out septic system discharges at his commercial and residential properties by November 5, 2015, and November 5, 2019, respectively.

S3 To implement the Septic Prohibition, Mr. Civic Center and Officer L.A.W. agree to build a centralized wastewater recycling facility to replace septic systems polluting Malibu’s coastal waters. Mrs. Water Quality is sufficiently impressed by Mr. Civic Center’s commitment to the environment and finally agrees to date him.

S4 Mrs. Water Quality and Mr. Civic Center are seen publicly all over the Westside, and soon move in together and begin planning their romantic wastewater recycling facility hideaway. But Mr. Civic Center reveals himself to be all talk, delaying construction of the project by 9 to 12 months. He assures Mrs. Water Quality it will be completed before November 5, 2015. Mrs. Water Quality has heard that one before.

S5 Mr. Civic Center and Officer L.A.W. arrange to extend the commercial septic phase-out deadline by 20 months—and the residential phase out deadline by 3 years. Officer L.A.W. approves the extension despite a lack of public support and passionate opposition from Mrs. Water Quality—who feels betrayed by both Mr. Civic Center and Officer L.A.W. Mrs. Water Quality moves out of Mr. Civic Center’s residence.

What will happen to this tragic duo in S6? Will they patch up their differences or has their love truly tanked? One thing is certain: In addition to being a heartbreaker, Mr. Civic Center will continue to harm human health and aquatic life with his septic obsession.

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT SEASON…

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Thank You Thursday 12-18-14

12.17.2014 | Heal the Bay

Santa Monica

A big thank you to Subaru Pacific for sharing the love with us this holiday season. The car company runs a national campaign – Share the Love – each year; for every car Subaru sells between the last week of November and January 2nd, they will donate $250 to one of six charities. Heal the Bay is thrilled to be one of only two local charities chosen. Twenty-six of Subaru’s customers have already selected Heal the Bay as their charity of choice – the goal of raising $10,000 looks to be within reach!

We are thankful for the rain – and incredibly grateful that the employees of Team One were signed up to do a corporate cleanup at Venice Beach shortly after the first round of rain. Thanks Team, for removing 114 pounds of trash and 2,214 cigarette butts from the beach.

And finally thanks to Madewell, which shared a portion of sales from a recent evening of holiday gift tag decorating at The Grove. We honestly appreciate HonestlyWTF for choosing us as the beneficiary of that crafty fundraiser.

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Storm FAQ: Rain Both a Blessing and Curse

12.11.2014 | Matt King

Los Angeles Stormwater News

With some much-needed rain pelting the region, we pause to share some quick answers to commonly asked questions about rain and pollution. The storm will surely create a lot of waste—both in the form of trash on the beach and squandered opportunities to capture water in a time of drought.

I thought rain was a good thing. Why is Heal the Bay worried about it?

Filthy first flush photo Santa Monica pier

Yes, we desperately need rain in our drought-parched state. But rain creates urban runoff—the No. 1 source of pollution at our beaches and ocean.

How does rain create pollution?

Rimmed by foothills and mountains, Los Angeles County is like a giant concrete bowl tilted toward the sea. When it rains, water rushes along paved streets, picking up trash, fertilizer, metals, pet waste and automotive fluids before heading to the ocean via the region’s extensive stormdrain system.

Were stormdrains designed to trash the beach?

With memories of historical deluges on their minds, engineers designed L.A. County’s 2,800-mile stormdrain system in the ‘30s and ‘40s to prevent flooding first and foremost. Moving stormwater out to sea quickly was their top priority. But it also has the unintended function of moving trash and bacteria-laden runoff directly into the Santa Monica and San Pedro Bays, completely unchecked and untreated.

What is the economic impact of all that pollution?

People make nearly 50 million visits to Santa Monica Bay beaches each year. And the coastal economy in Los Angeles County generates more than $20 billion in goods and services each year. Polluted water and debris-laden beaches put these economic drivers at risk.

How much runoff results from a big rain?

An average one-inch storm will create about 10 billion gallons of runoff in L.A. County stormdrains. That’s 120 Rose Bowls’ worth of dirty water.

What is “stormwater capture” and why is Heal the Bay so excited about it?

The L.A. region now imports more than 80% of our water from Northern California and the Colorado River watershed, using enormous amounts of energy and capital to do so. In an era of permanent drought, we simply must do a better job of using the water we already have. We need to build innovative infrastructure projects that capture and reuse stormwater instead of sending it to senselessly pollute our seas. Runoff—if held, filtered and cleansed naturally in groundwater basins—can provide a safe source of water for human use.

What is the potential for reusing stormwater? How much water are we talking about?

A recent NRDC report found that capturing stormwater runoff for water supply across urban areas in Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area could increase local water supplies by between 420,000 and 630,000 acre-feet per year, or roughly the same amount of water used by the entire City of Los Angeles on an annual basis.

What are examples of stormwater capture?

On a bigger scale, municipalities can develop multi-benefit wetlands, parks and open spaces that can capture and recharge groundwater supplies. Reclaimed stormwater can irrigate neighborhood parks, ball fields and school grounds instead of fouling rivers and beaches. On the individual lot level, property owners can equip homes with rain barrels and cisterns and redirect gutter flows into planter boxes. Under the County’s new stormwater regulations, new and redevelopment projects throughout the region are now required to retain the first ¾” of precipitation that fall on properties, instead of allowing it to run off into streets and ultimately the sea.

What does all this runoff to do the ocean and the animals that call it home?

Tens of thousands of marine animals die each year from ingesting trash or getting entangled in manmade debris. Seawater laden with chemicals and metals makes it harder for local marine life to thrive and reproduce.

What about the human health impacts?

Beachgoers who come in contact with polluted water face a much higher risk of contracting illnesses such as stomach flu, ear infections, upper respiratory infections and skin rashes. A UCLA epidemiology study found that swimmers are twice as likely to get sick from swimming in front of a flowing storm drain than from swimming in open water.

How can ocean lovers stay safe after a storm?

Wait at least 72 hours before entering the water. Five days may be more appropriate at beaches near storm drains.
Stay at least 100 yards away from storm drains, piers and enclosed beaches with poor circulation.
Go to Heal the Bay’s Beach Report Card to get the latest water quality grades and updates.

What can I do in my daily life to reduce the impact of runoff-related pollution?

Say NO to “convenience trash.” By purchasing fewer disposable goods, you’ll decrease the amount of plastic packaging and food wrappers that end up in the ocean. You’ll also save money!
Dispose of trash properly. Keeping trash out of the street keeps trash out of the sea. Cigarette butts, fast food packaging and plastic bottles are the most frequently found items at our beach cleanups. And remember to pick up after your pet to keep bacteria out of our sea.
Rip up your lawn. Nearly half of our water is used to care for our lawns. Not only is it a waste of water in an arid climate, it contributes to poor water quality due to pesticide and fertilizer runoff.
Keep rainwater onsite. Many cities offer rebates to homeowners who install rain barrels or cisterns, which capture and infiltrate rainfall for later use around the home and garden.

How can I support Heal the Bay’s efforts to make L.A. smarter about stormwater?

Come to a volunteer beach cleanup to spruce up a beach near you. Invite family and friends and win prizes!
Follow us on social media to learn about our work and share information with your networks.
Become a member. Your donation will underwrite volunteer cleanups, citizen science programs and lobbying and advocacy efforts by our science and policy team to develop more sustainable water policies throughout Southern California.

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What a Small Park in Torrance Can Teach Rest of L.A.

12.05.2014 | Matt King

News

Heal the Bay data manager Lee Myers takes an eye-opening walk at his local park and likes what he sees.

Dec. 5, 2014 — Entradero Park makes for a lively green space in northwest Torrance. It’s a popular spot that sees all kinds of use — baseball fields, children’s playground, tennis courts, impromptu kids bike course, robot-control flight space, dog walk and jogging track. And in the midst of all this human activity, you can even spot a bit of wildlife — snakes and hawks, to be sure.

The open space sits inside a low-lying sump, one of many that Torrance uses to drain the streets and neighborhoods. When it rains, stormwater flows in, and then out through the Herondo storm drain to Santa Monica Bay.

Hoping to both clean up runoff and increase infiltration, the City of Torrance recently began a Stormwater Recharge and Enhancement project at the park. Due to be completed in March 2015, the reconfigured space will slow the rush of runoff, giving it more time to seep into the ground. The project also includes catch basin screens to prevent trash from going to the Bay, as well as increased “No Parking” signs to facilitate consistent street sweeping. Less debris in the ocean, more water in the aquifer – that’s a good deal.

The park holds a special place in my heart. Not so many years ago, it served as home-schooling site for my kids. But they have moved on to public schools. Now I join the many residents who use the park to walk their dogs. You can find me there with my fearful but ever-so-sweet rescued “miniature” Lab, a Lab/American Eskimo/Australian Shepard mix. She loves it — and yes, I pick up her poop, and (dare I mention) some “extra.”

As a longtime resident of Torrance, I’m proud my city is investing in green infrastructure like this. It makes environmental and economic sense to capture runoff and keep pollution out of our ocean.

After the recent storm, I visited the park and took some photos. In the images below you can see some of the elements of the project, which is supported by Heal the Bay and largely funded with Prop. 84 bond money.

I expected to see a lot of trash… but what I saw was not what I expected.

Yes, there were a few plastic bags…

…but what else I saw gave me hope:

Torn up concrete and asphalt…

Concrete and asphalt out!

Rainwater streaming in…

…pooling, and infiltrating to replenish the aquifer: Future well water!

And in the midst of baseball fields, playgrounds and houses…

An in-the-making vernal wetlands habitat!

Shout out to John Dettle, an Engineering Manager with the city of Torrance’s Public Works Department, who supplied information for this report. Here’s more information about Torrance’s stormwater initiatives.

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Thank You Thursday 12-4-14

12.04.2014 | Heal the Bay

News South Bay

The recent screening of the awesome new surf documentary, “A Wedge to Remember,” gave Heal the Bay and partners Surfrider and Keep Hermosa Hermosa a platform to discuss our fight against oil drilling in Hermosa Beach. Proceeds from the evening’s raffle will be put to good use to prevent a proposed slant-drilling project in Hermosa Beach. Thanks to Dive N Surf and Body Glove for donating the gear for the raffle.

Thank you to Pardee Properties – a real estate agency that truly walks the talk. Ten percent of their net proceeds from each sale are donated to their client’s charity of choice. We have been grateful recipients of this generosity to the tune of nearly $5,000 in 2014. And a big thanks to this Venice-based agency’s Heal the Bay-loving client base!

Heal the Bay’s lobby is looking very festive these days, thanks to a donation by Living Christmas. The company’s “elves” arrived last week with a seven-plus-foot potted tree.

And finally, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: we’re so proud of Brenton Spies, formerly a staff member at Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium and currently a research biologist and PhD student at UCLA. And now we thank him mightily for his $1,000 donation to the Aquarium. The funds will go towards developing wetland based curriculum and interactive activities to be used for education and public programs at the Aquarium. The donation is a component of his successful Kickstarter campaign, which will also fund a photographic documentation of threatened and endangered ecosystems along the California coast. We also look forward to using Spies’ photographs to enhance the Aquarium’s watershed exhibit in the Dorothy Green Room.

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Holiday Aquadoption Special

12.02.2014 | Heal the Bay

Heal the Bay Aquarium More Ways to Give Santa Monica

The holidays.

All those decorations, the wrapping paper, the packages, the extra groceries…wouldn’t it be great to have a couple of extra arms to help out with it all? Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium has a unique gift idea that will provide you with some extra arms—eight arms, to be exact.

Every December, our Aquarium offers one of its most popular marine creatures up for Aquadoption at a special holiday price. This year’s animal is…xylophone roll please…the octopus! Throughout the month of December, the octopus is available for $50–a bargain price that includes a year’s membership to Heal the Bay along with free admission to the Aquarium for a family of four.

Octopuses are believed to be one of the smartest invertebrates on Earth, demonstrating the ability to learn new skills by watching one another. With their talent of changing color and texture, the octopus is a fascinating animal to observe.

The Aquadoption program provides all the benefits of adopting an animal while leaving the daily care to the Aquarium staff. If you choose to become an octopus mom or dad this holiday, you’ll receive a personalized packet with an adoption certificate, photo, fact sheet and two guest passes to the Aquarium.

So save your arms and give everyone on your list a gift that will keep on giving all year long. You’ll make a lonely cephalopod’s day!

Your Aquadoption will underwrite the daily care and feeding of an Aquarium animal of your choice, and will also help support Heal the Bay’s ongoing mission to keep our oceans safe, healthy and clean. Thank you!

3 Ways to Aquadopt:

Online
By phone: Call 310-393-6149, x102
In person: Visit us under the Pier Tue-Fri, 2-5pm or Sat-Sun, 12:30-5pm.

Santa Monica Pier Aquarium holiday aquadoption special

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