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Dead fish flotilla in Ballona Lagoon
[Posted by Chuck Almdale]
Long time frequenters of Malibu Lagoon well-remember the big die-off of Jumping Mullet back in August 2018. I’m not sure if anyone ever determine the exact reason(s) why 3,000-5,000 died in the lagoon, although the primary suspect was uncommonly warm air temperatures common in August, plus very warm temperatures in the lagoon itself. Warm water can’t hold as much oxygen as can cooler water. As I wrote then:
Some tests were taken that day: dissolved oxygen was 3-5 milligrams per liter, described as “… isn’t great, but also isn’t below the critical thresholds.” Water temperature was high: about 28°C (83-84°F). This was not good, as according to FishBase the maximum temperature limit for Mugil cephalus is 24°C (75°F). Many mullet were still jumping frequently in the lagoon. Mullet were seen “roiling the water” as far as ½ mile up Malibu Creek.
Something possibly similar seems to be going on in the Ballona Lagoon, that long narrow body of water on the east side of the Venice “peninsula.”
This was announced on the Los Angeles birders listserve https://groups.io/g/LACoBirds/ by alert Venice resident Ursula Heise on Tuesday, 13 Aug 2026, when she wrote in:
Just got back from going along Ballona Lagoon/Strongs Drive in Marina Del Rey. There are hundreds of dead fish floating from the ocean toward the Venice Canals: large and small, all kinds of species. Does anybody have info on what’s happening? Or how to report it to LA County Beaches and Harbors? I went to their website, and there seems to be no link to report an environmental issue that also has one concerned about the birds in the area (lots of egrets this morning). Thanks for any help.
Perhaps LA County Beaches might install a link on their website redirecting people to the proper location to report a Beach & Harbor problem if they wish to have nothing to do with it?
I contacted Ms. Heise, who was kind enough to supply the photograph below and brief explanatory text. She explained that she’d been running, had no camera, and was stunned to so many dead fish. Other local people she asked knew nothing about it. She went home and returned around 9:45 am with her phone camera, saw that there were “noticeably fewer fish” and only one of the larger fish, but took the photo which is “…not great, but you can see that there are a number of small fish and one midsize one.”
At around 9 am on Thursday, 8/13/26, I observed hundreds of dead fish drifting down the canal along the Esplanade/Strongs Dr. [just south of Washington Blvd. between Anchorage and Jib Sts.] in Marina Del Rey from the Ballona Lagoon north toward Washington Blvd. and the Venice Canals. The fish included very small fish, sardine-sized fish, several large flatfish (halibut or flounder?) and at least one large round fish that looked like a catfish (which it was not, of course, but that was the rough shape and size). None of the pedestrians and utility workers had realized the issue except for one elderly woman, who planned to notify Beaches and Harbors. Upon return 45 minutes later, the number and size of fish had diminished, but there was still a steady flow of dead fish in the same direction. I spoke to representatives of CA Fish and Wildlife (a woman named Karen) and to someone at Heal the Bay.
—— Ursula K. Heise, Venice
If anyone learns anything additional, let me know and I’ll update this post.
Surface Water Temperature chart NOAA Fahrenheit Link. Temperatures in Santa Monica Bay are currently over 70°F.
Volunteers needed at Audubon Ballona Wetlands Education Program
[Posted by Chuck Almdale, submitted by Cindy Hardin]
Nature Nexus Institute (NNI) has taken over the operation of Los Angeles Audubon’s school outreach program of school field trips to the Ballona Wetlands. Santa Monica Bay Audubon Society has helped financially support this organization for several decades. Many members of SMBAS have worked as docents for this program and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Nature Nexus Institute is all about sharing and teaching local school children about the special habitats found right here in Los Angeles. NNI will be starting their six-week Fall Training on 15 September to get ready for school field trips to the Ballona Wetlands. Their tours take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays. All you need to be a volunteer is a love of the outdoors and the enthusiasm to work with school age aspiring nature lovers. Please contact Cindy Hardin at chardin@naturenexusinstitute.org or give her a call at 310-745-2118 if you are interested.
The following announcement is from them.
We are looking for Volunteers!
The sun is shining, August is starting to feel like a real August and the calls are starting to come in from teachers requesting field trip dates. We are rolling!! In order to prepare, our Fall Training will commence on Tuesday, September 15th. We have also have a new speaker schedule.
Meeting Dates: Tuesdays 9/15, 9/22, 9/29, 10/6, 10/13, 10/20
Starting times vary: See below for each session!
Some of our speakers come from far afield, and a little later start time will (in theory) make traffic challenges less arduous for them.
Location: Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve, entrance at 303 Culver Blvd., Playa del Rey.
Contact: Cindy Hardin, Ph/Text 310-745-2118, <chardin@naturenexusinstitute.org>
The training schedule is as follows:
September 15th, 9 am to Noon. – Welcome back and a warm welcome to new volunteers. We will discuss the coming year, catch up with each other and greet the new volunteers that will be a part of our program. And of course, a stroll through Beautiful Ballona to look for creatures and admire the Goldenbush that is sure to be in prolific bloom.
September 22nd, 10 am to 12:30 pm. – Herpetology with Greg Nemes. Greg is new to the program, and comes highly recommended by California State Parks staff. He helps out with the training they do at Malibu Creek State Park, and is passionate about all things reptilian. A brief discussion will be followed by a walk through the Reserve to spot basking lizards and hopefully a snake or two!
September 29th, 10 am to 1 pm – Wetland Ecology and Parasitic Relationships with Julianne Passareli. Julianne is the Curator of Collections at the fabulous Cabrillo Aquarium in San Pedro. It has been a while since she has had some time to visit us, as she has been quite busy with recent renovations at the Aquarium. I am thrilled that she will be a part of the program this year!
October 6th, 10 am to 1 pm.– Indigenous Knowledge and Botany with Matt Teutimez. Matt is a trained botanist and a member of the Kizh Gabrielino Nation. He does tremendous work with Indigenous youth, and has so much wonderful information to share that will serve to enhance our tours with the students of Los Angeles.
October 13th, 10:30 am to 1 pm. – Native Plants with Orchid Black. Orchid teaches classes at the venerable Theodore Payne Native Plant Nursery, and through UCLA extension. It was suggested that she speak to our group by volunteer docent Jen Carter, who took her class at UCLA. And Ballona is the perfect place to see and learn about Native Plants-the habitat just keeps getting better year after year!
October 20th, 9 am to Noon. – Birds and Birding with Walter Lamb. Fall Migration and the return of our resident Winter Birds will be in full swing by mid-October, and Walter is just the person to show us who is in town, and learn all about the birds of our region. He is also a passionate advocate for the Wetlands, and has done heroic work in stewardship of the habitat, particularly in Area A. He is also very encouraging to birders of all levels!
In addition, on our last day of Training, October 20th, we will have the folks from LiveScan on site at Ballona. Last year the California Assembly passed a bill that requires that all personnel who work with children go through a process known as LiveScan. This is a background check, and if you have already gone through the process there is no need to do it again. However, if you have not you will be able to do this on the 20th. The service is provided at no cost to you, and is a relatively quick procedure that will be done at the end of training on that day.
There is also an online training about being a Mandated Reporter, which is also required. NNI Staff Member Emily Cobar will be on site on 20th to assist in implementing LiveScan, and to help set you up for the Mandated Reporter training.
All sessions will take place at the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve. The Reserve has no actual address. We use 303 Culver Blvd., Playa del Rey, 90293. This is a Local Market (it’s actual name!) that is currently being renovated. There is a driveway immediately behind the building that opens up into a large parking lot. The gate to the Reserve is located in the northeast corner of the lot. Please feel free to call me at 310-745-2118 if you have any suggestions, ideas, questions, or schools you might have in mind that could participate in one of our fabulous field trips.
Looking forward to working with all of you and the school children of Los Angeles — who are in dire need of some time in Nature!
Thanks,
Cindy
Swinhoe’s & Warbling White-eyes | Birding magazine
[Posted by Chuck Almdale]
Birding Magazine is the publication of the American Birding Association and while its content is normally available only to dues-paying members, this article is currently open to all on the web.
(Wikipedia, Charles Lam 23 Feb. 2009)
As Swinhoe’s White-eye Zosterops simplex is now on the CBRC Official California Checklist, located between Wrentit and Ruby-crowned Kinglet, everyone – especially birders – should know more about these bright banana-colored birds, quickly spreading through SoCal. According to the California Bird Atlas as of 8/14/26, there are 93 confirmations of breeding for Swinhoe’s White-eye this year alone.
Meet the White-eyes!
By Rajan Rao
Birding Magazine, 12 Aug 2026
Excerpts from the article:
These gregarious, radiant, and active denizens of neighborhoods and forest edges in California and Hawaii, [Swinhoe’s and Warbling White-eyes] respectively, are the two species of white-eyes found in the ABA Area. Despite their abundance, their presence is relatively new.
Their shared genus Zosterops is widespread, spanning Africa to Australia and north to Asia, with their center of diversity across the many islands and islets of Oceania. Bas van Balen’s synopsis in Birds of the World illustrates how Zosterops began arriving at and speciating among these islands over two million years ago, resulting in 110 species in the genus today. Their amazing ability to colonize—earning the designation of a “supertramp” species…remains a distinguishing part of their identity.
Finally, in 2007, Swinhoe’s White-eyes were reported in Southern California, likely arriving due to the illegal pet trade. Around 2013, the first breeding record was confirmed, and today white-eyes are common throughout Southern California. Their established range extends from Isla Vista in Santa Barbara Co. down to Ensenada in northern Baja California and includes recent advances to the Channel Islands, according to eBird reports. As of 2026, their range in California seems to be restricted by the Transverse Ranges, similar to the resident Allen’s Hummingbird.
Part of what makes birds in the genus Zosterops so effective at dispersing is their favorable life history traits. They are able to have over three clutches per year, they are woodland generalists, and they have a flexible diet including frugivory, insectivory, and nectivory.
Vanilla: the Extraordinary Bean | Natural History
[Posted by Chuck Almdale]
This is a bird-adjacent article about something we all love: The flavor of vanilla!
Many decades ago, while sweltering and vomiting our way through three weeks of birding in Madagascar, we had one very pleasant and singular surprise having to do with comestibles. We were investigating a tiny local cinder-block shop, perhaps ten-feet-square, and on one of the few shelves was a stack of chocolate bars. They were very cheap, and if they were horrible we wouldn’t be out much money. We bought one, unwrapped it and took a bite. Suddenly…dawn over the Serengeti…the bird chorus in the dripping Amazonian rain forest dawn. The best chocolate we had ever eaten in a lifetime of trying chocolate everywhere. We bought all she had. In the next two tiny bodegas we found we bought all they had. For two years back home we ate Madagascar chocolate until we ran out, by which time it was beginning to oxidize.
We’ve always wondered just why their chocolate was so good. What did they know, what did they do? After reading the review of the book below in Natural History, we think we know.
Vanilla: the History of an Extraordinary Bean
Eric T. Jennings; Yale University Press, 2025, 312 pages, $30.
Publisher’s page link
Some excerpts from the Natural History review:
Is there a pantry anywhere that lacks a bottle of vanilla extract? An ice-creme shop without vanilla heading its list of flavors? Vanilla, in one form or another, is so ubiquitous that the word today has taken on connotations of “plain” and “unexciting.” But there was a time when vanilla was exotic, traded like precious metal by great colonial powers, the epitome of culinary extravagance.
Vanilla – a member of the orchid family and native to Mexico and Central America where it was fertilized by local bees – was unknown to Europeans until the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. Among other uses the Aztecs flavored their chocolate drinks with it. Spain monopolized it for almost three centuries, but the French managed to smuggle the vines or pirate the pods, and replanted them, along with chocolate, in their tropical possessions like Tahiti, the Comoros, Java, Guadalupe, Mauritius, and voilà! – Madagascar. In 1880 a 12-year-old slave boy figured out how to fertilize this very finicky flower by hand, and the cultured vanilla industry took off.
Jennings’ narrative , based on extensive access to letters and official records, is particularly detailed on this period, recounting the experiences of growers and commercial traders during the century when vanilla was diffusing globally, culminating in “vanillamania” that affected virtually every cuisine….vanilla remains one of the most labor-intensive crops per gram, requiring, as it does, manual pollination of individual flowers at precise times, along with manual harvesting, drying, and extraction. It is correspondingly expensive: Natural pods were selling for as much as $600 a kilogram in 2018.
(Wikipedia, Malcolm Manners photo)
In the late 1800’s, chemists isolated the main flavoring agent, vanillin, and economic ways of synthesizing it were sought, finally falling upon lignin, a byproduct of pulp paper manufacture. Now oceans of “vanilla” can cheaply flow. Natural vanilla is still prized, however, “perhaps because it owes its flavor to trace chemicals not present in vanillin substitutes. Ninety-nine percent of vanilla-flavored foods in the world contain artificial vanillin.”
So – it seems to us – the key ingredients of the marvelous chocolate bars of Madagascar was not only locally grown chocolate, complements of the sneaky and industrious French, but locally cultivated vanilla, real vanilla, not vanillin made from sawdust. Real vanilla and real chocolate, two flavors made for each other and discovered millennia ago in the forests of Central America.
(Wikipedia, B. navez photo)
[Posted by Chuck Almdale]
I just discovered this in an Email from Karen Martin, Chair of the Beach Ecology Coalition (https://BeachEcologyCoalition.org) and Distinguished Professor of BIology Emeritus, Pepperdine University. Anyone ignorant, blasé, interested, affected, angry or sweating blood about the megatons of microplastics in our oceans, wildlife and probably ourselves might want to check it out. It’s tonight! I don’t know if they’ll be making a permanent video. Malibu Divers has webinars first-Wednesday-of-the-month, mostly on topics of interest to divers and other lovers of the sea.
UPDATE: This webinar has been recorded. Just click on the arrow below:
A webinar on ocean microplastics will be live on Wednesday August 5 at 5pm from Malibu Divers. Dr. Victoria Fulfer, a microplastics scientist with The 5 Gyres Institute, will speak on From Garbage Patch to Groundswell: How Global Microplastics Research Informs Local Action. Dr. Fulfer’s work examines how microplastics travel through watersheds and into the ocean, their impacts on marine ecosystems, and how scientific research is helping communities develop practical solutions.
Register here
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