Topline:
Crews have continued making steady progress in containing the Franklin Fire in Malibu after red flag conditions subsided last week.
What we know so far: The Franklin Fire started shortly before 11 p.m. last Monday near Malibu Canyon Road and Station Boundary, according to L.A. County Fire officials. It's currently 89% contained.
Keep reading... for more on evacuations and weather conditions.
This is a developing story and will be updated. For the most up-to-date information about the fire you can check:
Crews have continued making steady progress in containing the Franklin Fire in Malibu after red flag conditions subsided. But with hazardous fire weather this week, officials are warning that the flames could flare back up.
People are being urged to prepare for evacuations and power outages with moderate Santa Ana winds, dry vegetation, and low humidity expected. A fire weather warning is in effect for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties from 3 p.m. Tuesday through 6 p.m. Wednesday.
The city of Malibu has asked residents to call 911 if they see smoke, and to check on their elderly or disabled neighbors. Several circuits may have been shutoff Tuesday evening by Southern California Edison, according to the city of Malibu, with more power safety shut offs being considered for roughly 15,000 L.A. County customers.
As of Wednesday, the fire has grown to 4,037 acres, but containment had increased to 89%, officials reported. Fire crews were aided by higher humidity levels, slight precipitation, and calmer conditions.
So far, officials said 20 structures have been destroyed, with another 28 damaged, about half of which were homes.
All evacuation warnings have been lifted as of Monday, and the 6,300 people forced from their homes were able to return as of Friday evening, when the evacuation orders were downgraded. Malibu schools are also reopening this week.
Jan Smutz, fire behavior analyst with CalFire, said at a news conference Friday evening that the likelihood of an increase in fire activity continues to go down, but we’re not out of the woods just yet, especially with Santa Ana wind conditions expected to return Tuesday through Thursday.
“ We're going to remain vigilant and continue working until all those heat sources have been extinguished,” he said.
The Franklin Fire started shortly before 11 p.m. last Monday near Malibu Canyon Road and Station Boundary, according to L.A. County Fire officials. City officials said the fire sparked about three miles north of Pacific Coast Highway, and that the cause was not immediately clear.
At around 3 a.m. last Tuesday, Malibu officials reported that the fire had spread south over PCH, threatening structures by Malibu Pier, Malibu Road, Malibu Knolls and Sweetwater Mesa. The threat stretched to Serra, Civic Center, and other central Malibu neighborhoods by Tuesday evening.
As the fire advanced, Pepperdine University officials told anyone on campus at 1 a.m. to relocate to the campus center or library to shelter in place. Later Tuesday, officials said the worst of the fire had moved on and lifted the shelter-in-place order around 7:30 a.m.
City Hall reopened at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, according to Marianne Riggins, mayor pro tem for Malibu. A community meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall, which will be livestreamed here. You can submit questions on comments in person, or by emailing citycouncil@malibucity.org.
An air quality alert was issued until 7 p.m. last Thursday, and CalOSHA reminded employers that they’re required to protect their workers by adjusting practices and providing N-95 masks. You can find more information in English here and in Spanish here.
As of Thursday morning, power had been restored to Malibu.
Residents were also asked to stop outdoor irrigation to conserve water and make sure there’s enough resources for firefighters.
“Fire season is not a season,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a news conference last Tuesday. “It's year round in the state of California.”
No evacuation orders were in place as of Friday evening, and all evacuation warnings were lifted Monday morning, according to the city of Malibu.
All residents can return to their homes, but you may need a photo ID to access certain roads.
These areas have been thoroughly inspected and deemed safe, according to the city of Malibu, but people are being urged to remain cautious. For example, keep children and pets away from ash, and use N-95 masks during clean-up.
You can find tips for what to do when you return home after a fire in English here, and in Spanish here. You can also find soot and smoke cleaning tips in English here, and in Spanish here. And some suggestions for managing mental health and stress after an emergency in English here, and in Spanish here.
The following roads are open to residents with proper ID only:
Please note: Pacific Coast Highway is now fully open with traffic moving in both directions.
A Local Assistance Center opened at Malibu City Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 17, from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m., according to the city. Representatives from various agencies, city departments, the Red Cross, and AT&T were available to assist residents.
SoCal Edison has an assistance program for customers experiencing an extended outage. The special rates can be tapped at participating hotels within 20 miles of an outage. Those hotels are listed here.
The Boys and Girls Club of Malibu is offering free counseling services and emotional support to those impacted by the fire. You can find more information here, by calling (310) 457-6801 ext. 7414, or by emailing wellnessinfo@bgcmalibu.org.
Malibu Elementary, Malibu Middle, and Malibu High Schools reopened Monday after being closed for nearly a week. The campuses were spared from any damage.
But Webster Elementary School, which officials previously said suffered “significant damage”, remains closed for cleaning and repairs. The campus is expected to reopen on Jan. 6, after winter break.
Webster students and staff will temporarily relocate to Malibu Elementary School in the meantime, starting on Tuesday, Dec. 17, for those that are ready to return to in-person learning.
Parking restrictions on Grayfox Street will be temporarily lifted, except for Fernhill Drive to the elementary school’s entrance, which will be used for pickup and drop-off. The schools will also stagger those pickup and drop-off times for Webster and Malibu Elementary students to ease traffic congestion.
“Upon return to school, we understand that some families will still be dealing with the aftermath of this distressing event, including a few of our families who have lost homes or have damage,” Antonio Shelton, superintendent of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, said in a statement to families and staff last Thursday.
Topline:
The contractor building the LAX Automated People Mover will soon initiate a simulation of how the train will operate when it begins shuttling travelers between airport terminals and the L.A. Metro system. Meanwhile, rhetoric has heated up between the city and its contractor over a dispute that began last year about faulty electrical equipment.
Testing: The testing milestone that is slated to begin the week of April 20 is designed to assess the reliability of the train. “It’s a big milestone for the project, and a visible milestone,” said Jake Adams, an airport executive who is overseeing $5.5 billion in LAX upgrades.
Drama over dispute: In November, LAist reported on a dispute over the repair of equipment in a metering cabinet. That work required power to be partially shut down between February and July 2025, temporarily delaying critical testing of the technology that allows for central control of the people mover’s systems. Though the technical issue has been resolved, the contractual dispute remains open.
No date yet: Adams did not commit to a date for when the train will open to the public. The next phase of testing is estimated to take 60 days, and there are follow-up steps. That means the train likely won't be open before the World Cup.
Read on … for more about the status of the people mover and how we got here.
The contractor building the LAX Automated People Mover will soon initiate a simulation of how the train will operate when it begins shuttling travelers between airport terminals and the L.A. Metro system.
If you catch yourself at the airport once this phase of testing begins the week of April 20, you'll see empty cars traversing the 2.25-mile-long tracks on the same 24/7 schedule the train will use when it opens.
“It’s a big milestone for the project, and a visible milestone,” said Jake Adams, an airport executive who is overseeing $5.5 billion in LAX upgrades, including the people mover.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles World Airports, the city agency that manages LAX, and its contractor for the people mover have escalated their rhetoric over a dispute that began last year over faulty electrical equipment, according to an LAist review of correspondences received through a public records request.
Adams said he’s “fairly optimistic” that the dispute can be resolved separately from opening the train to the public, even if it intensifies into a legal battle.
Considering the projected timeline for this next phase of testing, the train likely won’t be open in time for the World Cup in June, which was once slated to open in 2023.
Adams said the airport’s peak summer traveler count “far exceeds” the number of people expected for the World Cup and that he doesn’t anticipate any issues.
If you have a tip, you can reach me on Signal. My username is kharjai.61.
The testing milestone that is slated to begin the week of April 20 is designed to assess the reliability of the train.
“The requirement is that [the contractor has] to operate it for 30 consecutive days without a hiccup,” Adams said of the testing phase known as “system demonstration.”
What a “hiccup” could look like ranges, Adams said. An example of a major issue that could restart that 30-day clock is if one of the train cars breaks down. A more minor one would be if a train door fails to open at a platform.
Adams said the process is likely to take a total of 60 days based on conversations with other airports that have developed similar people mover systems.
In November, LAist reported on a dispute over repairs to equipment in a metering cabinet. That work required power to be partially shut down between February and July 2025, temporarily delaying critical testing of the technology that allows for central control of the people mover’s systems.
Though the technical issue has been resolved, the contractual dispute remains open. LINXS, the group of companies contracted to design, build and operate the train, has taken the position that the repair work isn’t included in its scope of work. Los Angeles World Airports disagrees.
As of October, LINXS said the extra work cost $36 million, according to a document detailing LINXS’ claim that LAist received through a public records request.
The contractor group in December filed a claim under a section of state law that governs complaints against public entities. The L.A. City Attorney's Office rejected the claim in January, initiating a six-month window within which LINXS can sue the city.
“We will not comment on active disputes,” a spokesperson for LINXS said in an email when LAist reached out about the issue last month.
In January 2026, when there was concern that the technical issue with the metering cabinet was reoccurring, LAX officials directed LINXS to investigate the issue. The contractor group initially refused to do so.
William Dachs, CEO of LINXS, said in a letter to the city in January that “failure to resolve this … will ultimately lead to contract termination this coming fall, resulting in the City of Los Angeles having to repay the Lenders’ Liabilities which, at this early stage, is estimated to be over $1.1 Billion.”
LINXS stands for LAX Integrated Express Solutions. It is the name of the group that formed in 2018 to design, build and operate the Automated People Mover. It’s made up of four large engineering and construction companies: Fluor, Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Flatiron West and Dragados.
Ultimately, a joint investigation found the concerns about the reoccurring issues were unfounded. Still, the episode reflects how uniquely contentious the dispute is.
Whereas past disputes between LINXS and the airport were resolved through settlements that have so far totaled hundreds of millions of dollars and resulted in schedule extensions, the dispute over maintaining electrical equipment is the one that has gotten closest to potential litigation.
“Other relief events that we’ve dealt with up to this point … we could agree there were some things that were not totally within LINXS’ control,” Adams said. “This relief event is very different. We believe there is absolutely no merit to this claim.”
Disputes between LINXS and two of its subcontractors have already resulted in litigation, with one subcontractor accusing LINXS of “secretive, deceptive and improper conduct” and neglecting to pass settlement money down to subcontractors.
An L.A. County Civil Grand Jury report released last year claimed that LINXS has used the dispute resolution process and “political pressures,” such as L.A.’s status as host city for several upcoming mega-events, to force contract extensions and additional compensation throughout the design and construction process.
There are still a few more steps to complete once the system demonstration is successful, including resolving a dispute involving damage to the sprinkler systems that water plants along roads near the airport. Those roads received new landscaping as part of the project.
“LINXS is taking a very contractual position that they have to complete all of the work that's in their contract before they can open the train,” Adams said. “We are taking the position that the irrigation absolutely has nothing to do with operating the train.”
Adams characterized the conversations to “decouple” the sprinklers from the actual train itself as “active.”
The final steps include getting approval from the California Public Utilities Commission and testing the train with volunteers.
Adams did not commit to a date for when travelers will be able to fully use the train.
Topline:
Pope Leo XIV said he is undeterred by criticism from President Donald Trump and will continue speaking out against war, emphasizing peace, dialogue and cooperation between nations.
The backstory: The remarks come amid escalating tensions between the Vatican and Washington over the Iran conflict. Speaking at a worldwide peace vigil at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on Saturday, Pope Leo warned against what he described as a "delusion of omnipotence" driving global instability, urging world leaders to prioritize diplomacy over military escalation. Trump responded sharply the following day, criticizing the pope's leadership and accusing him of being weak on crime and ineffective on foreign policy.
More on the clash between Trump and the Pope: Speaking to reporters on Monday as he began an 11-day tour of Africa, the first American pope stressed that global conflicts are causing immense human suffering and insisted that moral leadership requires advocating for alternatives to violence. The trip is set to be dominated by the deepening rift between the Vatican and Washington, as the pope's calls for peace play out amid an increasingly public and personal clash with Donald Trump — all the more striking given he is the first American to lead the Catholic Church.
LAGOS, Nigeria — Pope Leo XIV said he is undeterred by criticism from President Donald Trump and will continue speaking out against war, emphasizing peace, dialogue and cooperation between nations.
Speaking to reporters on Monday as he began an 11-day tour of Africa, the first American pope stressed that global conflicts are causing immense human suffering and insisted that moral leadership requires advocating for alternatives to violence.
"I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among states to find just solutions to problems," he said. "Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there's a better way."
The remarks come amid escalating tensions between the Vatican and Washington over the Iran conflict.
Speaking at a worldwide peace vigil at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on Saturday, Pope Leo warned against what he described as a "delusion of omnipotence" driving global instability, urging world leaders to prioritize diplomacy over military escalation.
Trump responded sharply the following day, criticizing the pope's leadership and accusing him of being weak on crime and ineffective on foreign policy.
In posts on Truth Social on Sunday night, he argued that the pontiff should focus on religious leadership rather than politics.
"I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon," Trump posted. "I don't want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I'm doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do."
Trump also took issue with the pope's criticism of U.S. policy.
In a flurry of late-night posts, Trump also shared an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ, without offering any explanation.
A Vatican spokesman responded to Trump's social media posts, saying they reflected his "impotence" in the face of the Vatican's criticism of the Iran war.
"When political power turns against a moral voice, it is often because it cannot contain it," Father Antonio Spadaro, under-secretary of the Vatican's Dicastery of Culture and Education, wrote in a social media post. "… Unable to absorb that voice, power tries to delegitimize it. Yet in doing so, it implicitly acknowledges its weight."
Trump's rebuke came as three U.S. cardinals chose to speak out against the Iran war in a rare joint television appearance on 60 Minutes on Sunday night.
"In Catholic teaching, this is not a just war," Cardinal Robert McElroy, the archbishop of Washington, D.C., told the program. "This is a war of choice. … I think it's embedded in a wider moment in the U.S. that's worrying: We're seeing before us the possibility of war after war after war."
Despite the attack from President Trump, Pope Leo reiterated that he will continue to speak out "loudly against war," advocating for dialogue and multilateral solutions.
His trip to Africa — which includes stops in Algeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon — is focused on promoting unity, peace and stronger interfaith relationships.
The pope opened the journey in Algiers, where he was welcomed by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, marking the first-ever papal visit to the country and underscoring the symbolic importance of engaging with predominantly Muslim nations.
But the trip is set to be dominated by the deepening rift between the Vatican and Washington, as the pope's calls for peace play out amid an increasingly public and personal clash with Donald Trump — all the more striking given he is the first American to lead the Catholic Church.
Copyright 2026 NPR
Topline:
The U.S. military will block ships from entering or exiting Iranian ports on Monday after the U.S. and Iran failed to reach an agreement in direct talks over the weekend.
Why now: The decision to block vessels entering and leaving Iranian ports came after the U.S. and Iran failed to reach an end to the war, during the direct talks that took place in Islamabad, Pakistan, over the weekend.
From CENTCOM: "The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman," The U.S. Central Command, known as CENTCOM, posted on social media on Sunday.
Read on... for more updates from the region.
The U.S. military will block ships from entering or exiting Iranian ports on Monday after the U.S. and Iran failed to reach an agreement in direct talks over the weekend.
The U.S. Central Command, known as CENTCOM, said the blockade would be enforced from 10 a.m. Eastern Time.
"The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman," CENTCOM posted on social media on Sunday.
CENTCOM said it "will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports."
President Trump said Sunday he instructed the U.S. Navy "to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran."
"No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas," he added.
The decision to block vessels entering and leaving Iranian ports came after the U.S. and Iran failed to reach an end to the war, during the direct talks that took place in Islamabad, Pakistan, over the weekend.
Israel and Hezbollah continued to trade strikes on Monday as efforts were underway for Israeli and Lebanese officials to meet in Washington for ceasefire talks.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron announced preparations for a "peaceful multinational mission aimed at restoring freedom of navigation" in the Strait of Hormuz. He said he would be convening a conference on these plans "in the coming days" together with Britain.
Brent crude oil, the international standard, jumped to $102.24 a barrel on Monday.
Here are more updates from the region:
Click the links below to jump down to a specific section.
France and U.K. reactions | Iran on Strait of Hormuz| U.S.-Iran talks | Lebanon | U.S. warships | Iran executions
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday the United Kingdom will not join President Trump's blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz. Starmer said his focus was to keep the waterway open.
Speaking to BBC Radio, Starmer said he would not go into operational matters, but that the UK's efforts would be aimed at reopening the strait.
"All of the marshalling diplomatically, politically and capability, we do have minesweeping capability… That's all focused from our point of view, on getting the straits fully open," Starmer said.
He said that was the only way to get energy bills down for people in the U.K. who, according to him, were paying the price of the war in Iran.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that "in the coming days," France and Britain will organize a conference with "those countries prepared to contribute alongside us to a peaceful multinational mission aimed at restoring freedom of navigation" in the Strait of Hormuz.
"This strictly defensive mission, separate from the warring parties to the conflict, is intended to be deployed as soon as circumstances permit," Macron posted on X.
Trump wrote on social media on Sunday that the talks between the U.S. delegation led by Vice President Vance and the Iranian delegation failed because "IRAN IS UNWILLING TO GIVE UP ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS!"
Tehran has repeatedly said that its nuclear program is a civilian one, and that it has a right to continue to enrich uranium for that purpose.
In a series of posts on social media on Sunday, Iran's military spokesman, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, said "warships nearing the Strait of Hormuz will be met with a strong and decisive response."
Zolfaghari also threatened to block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, in response to U.S. action. The waterway is tucked between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, connecting the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea to the Suez Canal.
Last week's ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran had minimal impact on the movement of goods through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran had largely shut down the strait to commercial vessels and in some cases demanded steep tolls for ships to pass. The decision by the Trump administration to block Iran's ports is likely to further heighten tensions and exacerbate fuel shortages worldwide.
Nearly 20% of the global supply of oil and gas normally moves through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has largely blocked since the joint U.S. and Israeli strikes against it began on Feb. 28.
The U.S. and Iran failed to reach an agreement in highly anticipated face-to-face peace talks that took place over the weekend in Islamabad. On Sunday, after 21 hours of talks, Vice President Vance said Iran chose "not to accept our terms."
Asked what the major sticking point had been that led to the breakdown in negotiations, Vance said: "The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon."
For its part, Iran said the two sides had "reached an understanding on a number of issues, but ultimately the talks did not lead to an agreement."
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghachi, a member of the Iranian negotiating team, said Sunday his country "engaged with (the) U.S. in good faith to end the war," adding that when the two sides were close to reaching an understanding, "we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade."
The status of the two-week ceasefire, which extends until April 22, is now uncertain. But Vance left open the possibility that an agreement could still be reached, saying: "We leave here with a very simple proposal: a method of understanding that is our final and best offer." He added: "We'll see if the Iranians accept it."
The talks in Islamabad were the first face-to-face engagement between the U.S. and Iran since 2015, when the Obama administration negotiated a nuclear deal with Iran that was later scrapped by Trump. They were also the highest-level discussions since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
In a Fox News interview on Sunday, Trump doubled down in his stance that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon, and said he believes Iran will "come to the table" and give up its nuclear weapons efforts. Asked if he will continue to "destruct" Iran if they don't give up their nuclear weapons program, Trump said: "If they don't give that plan up, yeah."
On Saturday, Trump said "We win, regardless" of the outcome of negotiations, adding, "we've totally defeated that country."
As the talks between the U.S. and Iran were underway, two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, a U.S. official told NPR, marking the first transit of American warships since the start of the Iran war six weeks ago.
CENTCOM said it had begun setting conditions to clear Iranian sea mines planted throughout the waterway to "encourage the free flow of commerce."
Attacks continued in Lebanon on Monday as Israeli airstrikes hit border villages that Israel says is it seizing from Lebanon, in order to create a buffer zone to prevent militant group Hezbollah from firing cross-border rockets.
Lebanese authorities said more than 100 people were killed over the weekend from Israeli attacks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who crossed into Lebanon on Sunday, said those displaced from southern Lebanon will not be allowed to return to their homes. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the goal of Israel's campaign is to destroy houses in the area to prevent Hezbollah from using them.
Their statements came as preparations were under way for Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to meet on Tuesday in Washington for ceasefire talks, the first direct official talks between the two countries since 1983. The talks are not supported by Hezbollah, which held a rally in Beirut over the weekend, filling several blocks of the capital.
The Lebanese government said Israel has destroyed around 40,000 houses in the past 35 days.
The Lebanese Red Cross said that one of its ambulance teams was directly targeted by an Israeli drone over the weekend, killing one paramedic and wounding another. The death brought the number of the medics killed to at least 57 in the past six weeks, according to Lebanese authorities. Israel denies it is targeting medics and accused Hezbollah of transporting weapons in ambulances.
At least 1,639 people were executed in Iran in 2025, according to a joint report by the Norwegian organization Iran Human Rights and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty.
According to the two watchdogs, the figure represents an increase of 68% over the previous year.
A wave of arrests and executions followed the country-wide protests that started in December of 2025 and trailed into January.
Mass arrests have also been regularly reported in Iran's state media since the start of the war, with authorities accusing those it rounds up of having ties to Israel or aiding terrorist groups.
Betsy Joles in Islamabad, Lauren Frayer in Beirut, D Parvaz in Van, Turkey, Fatima Al-Kassab in London and Tina Kraja in Washington, DC contributed to this report.
Copyright 2026 NPR
Topline:
A historic lack of predators and human-caused climate change are leading to more people being stung by stingrays.
Why it matters: Warming ocean waters are helping stingrays expand their range. That may sound good for stingrays, but it's a bad sign for the ocean's health.
Keep reading ... for more on our local stingrays and how to avoid their painful stings.
I recently had the excruciatingly painful experience of being stung by a stingray while swimming at Bolsa Chica State Beach. It was my second time being stung, so as soon as I felt the familiar stab in the bottom of my foot, dread arose. But at least this time I knew what to do.
I hollered at my friend in the water — “I got hit by a stingray!”
Ironically, I’d just been telling her about the “stingray shuffle” — the strategy to shuffle your feet as you enter the water and therefore scare any nearby stingrays away.
I swam as fast as I could to the sand and sprinted to the nearest lifeguard tower. Already, the pain was sharp in my foot, and I could feel it pulsing up my leg, growing more intense. I took deep breaths and tried to keep my face stoic.
Now, you lucky folks who have never been stung may be smirking at my desperation. But if you know, you know — a stingray’s sting is no joke.
A kind lifeguard wrapped my bleeding foot in gauze and drove me in his pickup truck to the main tower. When we got there, I hopped into a painfully comedic scene: About 10 other sorry souls sat in a semicircle of chairs, each with one foot in a bucket full of scalding water.
You’re most likely to get stung by a stingray during low tide on warm water days when the surf is relatively calm — basically when it’s an ideal beach day.
The stingray shuffle — or shuffling your feet in the sand as you enter the water — is your best defense, according to Lowe. Also, check for signage warning of high stingray activity, usually posted at the entrance to beaches.
We passed around a hose of hot water, taking turns refilling our buckets as soon as the water started to cool. You have to keep the temperature as hot as you can tolerate, to neutralize the venom and stave off the pain. There were so many stings that day that lifeguards handed out shiny bags of hot water when they ran out of buckets.
As I waited for my pain to fully subside — it can take more than an hour of soaking in hot water — I watched as a steady stream of people came and went for their stings.
A young teen, bawling, was consoled by her frantic dad. Others sat silently, grimacing occasionally as their friends or family patted their backs. When the hose with hot water was hogged by a single party too long, the rest of us grew anxious and a little desperate. Still, everyone treated each other kindly — after all, misery loves company.
As I sat with my own foot in a bucket of hot water, I had time to wonder: Why are so many people getting stung? And has it always been this way?
We have four types of stingrays in Southern California waters — bat rays, diamond rays, butterfly rays and round stingrays.
“The round stingray is the one that most people come to know and love at their local beaches, because they're the most abundant, and they're the ones that people accidentally step on the most and get stung by,” said Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Lab at Cal State Long Beach.
Round stingrays come into contact with our feet because they forage on the sea floor for clams, crabs, isopods and small fish. They hide from predators under the sand while they digest. Understandably, they strongly dislike being stepped on, especially with a full belly. I don’t blame ‘em.
Round stingrays range from Panama up to Santa Barbara County — the northern tip of their range. Over the last hundred years, their populations have been growing steadily, largely because we killed off many of their predators, such as sea lions, white sharks and sea bass, last century.
Now, thanks to conservation efforts and improved fishing practices, many of those predators are making a comeback.
“As a result of those predator populations coming back, we expect the round stingray population to get tamped down a little bit,” Lowe said.
Stingrays or “white shark pancakes,” Lowe joked, are “the first food we think the juvenile white sharks that hang out off our beaches really take advantage of.”
At the same time, coastal development over the last 100 years has destroyed much of the habitat that stingrays prefer, such as lagoons and estuaries, which have calm, shallow warm water and sediment to hide under. Now, the habitat available to them is primarily coastal beaches.
“That puts a lot more people in the path of what we call prime round stingray habitat,” Lowe said.
In January, officials at Huntington Beach warned beachgoers of an uptick in stingray activity. Down the road in Seal Beach, a popular surf spot has long been known as “Ray Bay.”
Here in Southern California, estimates are that lifeguards treat more than 10,000 stings a year, Lowe said. That’s likely a very conservative estimate, he added, since many people don’t seek treatment.
Climate change is increasingly playing a role in stingray life too, Lowe said, by warming waters that historically have been too cool for them to survive.
Over the last 200 years, human society has pumped an unprecedented level of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is heating up the planet. The ocean has been our main buffer to the worst effects of that pollution — it absorbs about 30% of all carbon dioxide emissions and about 90% of the excess heat generated by those emissions, according to NASA.
That’s not only changing the chemical composition of the ocean, but also driving worsening marine heatwaves or “blobs,” which can lead to mass die-offs of marine life. In fact, we’ve been in a record-breaking marine heat wave since last summer.
“The pattern at which these marine heat waves are increasing is clearly an indicator of climate change,” Lowe said. “So these are all real true harbingers of climate change, and we're seeing the animals that live in these environments respond to these conditions.”
Though they can withstand only so much heat, stingrays prefer temperate, subtropical waters.
“As the ocean continues to warm, that range gets pushed farther north, which means the habitat in Southern California just becomes even more pleasant to the round stingray,” Lowe said.
Over the last 50 years, round stingrays have had periodic pulses as far north as Monterey. And with an El Niño weather pattern likely year this year, ”we might start seeing animals even farther north,” Lowe said.
Warmer waters may sound good for stingrays, but it’s not a great sign for the health of the ocean. Last year’s extreme marine heat wave led to massive algae blooms that sickened and poisoned marine wildlife.
