A sewage spill has forced officials to close down a one-mile stretch of beach near Ballona Creek today, and the beach will remain off-limits to surfers and swimmers until at least late Thursday afternoon. more ›

Nice weather we're having, isn't it? It's no wonder Angelenos have been flocking to the Pacific shores for some fun in the sun. Here's a look at some photos taken in these first few days of 2012 as we enjoy a bit of summer in January, courtesy the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr. more ›

Residents of and visitors to the OC's San Clemente will soon have a place to take their four-legged canine companions for an off-leash oceanside romp. One of two public beaches there could be turned into an experimental dog beach. more ›

After today's rainfall, the first significant shower since March, Heal the Bay urges Southlanders to steer clear of the Pacific for the next 72 hours. Swimmers are also advised to avoid contact with storm water that pools or streams along the beach. more ›

Long Beach, a city infamous for its poor beach water quality, has been doing its homework and received gold star AND smiley face stickers on its latest report card. Heal the Bay released its 2011 End of Summer Beach Report Card - a report of beach water quality - on Monday, awarding Long Beach with excellent marks for its "dramatic improvement," per Monday's press release. more ›

A magnificent yet tedious street art project just wrapped this afternoon in Venice, and passers-by are approvingly snapping photos of the brilliant display. Barefoot Wine, the Surfrider Foundation and four local artists combined forces to create a 14x10-foot "One Beach" film poster mural on the side of Mollusk Surf Shop. more ›

Effective today at 5pm, sets of 7-11 foot waves will crash onto south-facing beaches from L.A. to San Luis Obispo County. The high surf advisory, issued by the National Weather Service, is expected to last until 5pm on Friday. more ›

After being taken into custody on Friday, a Santa Ana man is accused of coaxing three underage girls out of the Lone Star State and transporting them to the OC with the intention of selling them into prostitution, reports the OC Register. The man, 26-year-old Samuel Martinez Gonzalez, reportedly invited the girls to California for a beach trip. more ›

Another boy has been buried alive at an OC beach, "but he's expected to be OK," according to ABC Local. The 10-year-old boy had been digging at Sunset Beach when the tunnel caved in. more ›

One of our favorite oceanfront venues is Santa Monica's Annenberg Beach House, and they have just announced an upcoming opportunity to experience their gorgeous pool with your fellow grown ups for an adult evening's beach party. more ›

Video footage shows the scope of the effort by emergency personnel, beach-goers and lifeguards to dig out a teenager who found himself buried alive in the sand yesterday afternoon on Newport Beach. Matt Mina and some friends were digging tunnels, but the sand walls collapsed, trapping Mina underneath for an estimated 20-40 minutes. more ›

Money might be able to buy you a house in Malibu, but it can't (well...shouldn't) buy you out of legal contracts. Coastal resident Lisette Ackerberg learned this the hard way, reports the Sacramento Bee. Ackerberg reportedly wanted access to the beach near her property closed off to the public. more ›

Are you sitting at your desk thinking "Holy crap, it's hot out!"? Because we are. Today is another hot, humid SoCal day, although forecasters predict things will cool down and dry out a bit in the coming days. more ›

Massive traffic congestion leading to the declaration of a SigAlert is no big thing when it comes to our well-traveled freeways. But on a bike path? Sure, why not!? On the beachfront bike path from Venice Beach to Torrance area yesterday afternoon, Los Angeles County lifeguards hailed the traffic as "worse than the San Diego (405) Freeway" and declared a SigAlert, according to the Daily Breeze. more ›

Are you one of the many, many locals opting to beat the holiday heat with a sojourn by the shore? Well, take a number--our beaches have been crazy busy this weekend. How busy? According to officials, an estimated one million people showed to to Los Angeles County beaches on Saturday and the same on Sunday. more ›

If you're headed to the shores of Redondo Beach, Torrance, or Hermosa Beach, get ready for some gross-out potential: "An invasion of insects has turned a trip to the beach in parts of Southern California into a major summer bummer," explains the Associated Press. Those insects are black kelp flies, which are hanging out on trash cans and lifeguard stands. more ›

Good news for beach-goers: You might not have to hold it! Yesterday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors agreed to go back to a early morning-open schedule for seven of the 52 beach restrooms operated by the County, reports the L.A. Times. more ›

The Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors would like you to know that there will be a lot of people hanging out on their sands this season and not enough money to pay the folks to clean up after them. Or, as they say, they will "implement beach service curtailments," starting May 1st. more ›

Who knew the waters that lap the shores of Long Beach were such a hot bed of headline-generating eco-focused news? 2010 was a banner year for environmental issues at the national and state level, and the Long Beach Gazettes.com takes a look back at the year at their beach. more ›

Mudslides, flooded roads, washed out beachfronts, evacuations, water-logged hills, and swift waters in flood channels has Los Angeles and Orange County, as well as surrounding counties, on alert. more ›

The heavy rains pounding the hillsides and concrete of Los Angeles has a very specific trickle-down effect when it comes to the Pacific. Called "urban runoff," the rush of water spewing into the ocean from storm drains puts beach-goers at risk because of high bacteria levels. Not that you were likely planning to take a dip down at the beach this week, but, just in case: "A Rain Advisory has been declared for all Los Angeles County beaches. The advisory will be in effect until 2:00 p.m. Thursday, December 23." more ›

Giant gingerbread got a California makeover thanks to mighty elves of The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel who built a life-size 1948 Ford Woodie replica. At 8 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 5 1/2 feet tall, this sweet ride is made from 150 pounds of gingerbread, 300 pounds of royal icing, and a mind-melting number of green M&Ms. more ›

A sewage spill in Burbank has affected the beaches down in Long Beach, according to Everything Long Beach. more ›