As temperatures rise across the Southland, droves of people will hit the beach in search of a reprieve — but you might want to think twice before taking a dip near one of the region’s most famous landmarks.
For the second year in a row, the area around the Santa Monica Pier was named one of California’s dirtiest beaches by environmental nonprofit Heal the Bay.
The pier-adjacent beach came in at No. 2 this year due to persistent water quality issues, according to the organization’s annual Beach Report Card.
Heal the Bay monitors beaches along the California coast — testing water samples for fecal bacteria, including coliform, E. coli and enterococcus. High concentrations of these bacteria indicate the presence of pathogens that could be harmful to beachgoers.
Of the more than 500 beaches that Heal the Bay monitored in 2024, the top 10 dirtiest also included four in San Diego County, three in San Mateo County and one in Marin County. The 10th beach, and most dirty one, on the list was in Baja California, Mexico.
This year’s beach grades do not account for wildfire runoff.
In January, rainfall and debris from the catastrophic L.A. County firestorm prompted officials to issue an ocean water closure and ocean water quality advisory from Surfrider Beach in Malibu to Dockweiler State Beach at World Way in Playa del Rey. The advisories have since been lifted. Public health officials say despite fire-related debris washing ashore, there is little evidence of fire-related toxins in ocean water in high enough concentrations to make someone sick.
Heal the Bay continues to conduct separate testing specific to the fires and their effects.
The Santa Monica Pier, specifically south of Pico and north of Wilshire boulevards to the pier, is Los Angeles County’s only beach to make Heal the Bay’s list.
“Every day, families who visit Santa Monica for a day of fun in the sun may be unknowingly risking illness by splashing in polluted waters,” Tracy Quinn, chief executive of Heal the Bay, said in a statement. “It’s time for the City of Santa Monica to prioritize efforts to identify and reduce bacteria levels at the Santa Monica Pier.”
The beach area graded out poorly despite upgrades to the Pier — including storm water capture systems and bird deterrent netting, according to the report. Pollution for the pier remains a problem, worsened by urban runoff and high levels of water-contaminating activities like the disposal of fish guts from recreational fishing, which attracts seabirds.
Here are Heal the Bay’s 10 dirtiest beaches
- Playa Blanca (Baja California, Mexico)
- Santa Monica Pier (Los Angeles County)
- Tijuana Slough at Tijuana River mouth (San Diego County)
- Chicken Ranch Beach at channel (Marin County)
- Linda Mar Beach at San Pedro Creek (San Mateo County)
- Erckenbrack Park, Foster City (San Mateo County)
- Tijuana Slough, north of Tijuana River (San Diego County)
- Border Field State Park at Monument Road (San Diego County)
- Imperial Beach at Seacoast Drive (San Diego County)
- Pillar Point Harbor Beach (San Mateo County)
Out of more than 500 monitored beaches in the state, 62 earned a spot on Heal the Bay’s “honor roll,” a significant improvement from just 12 beaches in last year’s report and only two during the 2022-2023 year.
Seven counties — Orange, San Diego, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Mateo and San Francisco — earned top quality marks in this year’s report, also a notable increase from previous years.
Southern California beaches typically dominate the “honor roll” because many counties in Northern and Central California do not monitor water quality year-round.
From April through October, state law requires county governments to test water samples. However, counties are not required to monitor water quality during off-season months, so many counties opt not to do so from November to March.
Orange County dominated the top 10 list of Heal the Bay’s ‘honor roll” for the second straight year.
Here are California’s top 10 ‘honor roll’ beaches
- Balboa Beach at the Wedge
- Balboa Pier beach
- Capistrano County Beach, South Capistrano Bay
- Crystal Cove State Park
- Dana Point Harbor
- Huntington City Beach
- Laguna Beach
- Newport Bay
- North Aliso County Beach
- San Clemente Pier
The 62-beach “honor roll” includes 34 in Orange County, 12 in San Diego County, and seven in Los Angeles County. Ventura County has five, San Mateo County has two and Santa Barbara and San Francisco counties each have one.
In L.A. County, the seven “honor roll” beaches were Dockweiler State Beach at Grand Avenue, Hermosa Beach, Long Point in Rancho Palos Verdes, Manhattan Beach at 28th Street, Nicholas Beach at San Nicholas Canyon Creek mouth, Nicholas Beach 100 feet west of lifeguard tower and Portuguese Bend Cove in Rancho Palos Verdes.
During the 2024 to 2025 monitoring period, Heal the Bay says California saw a noticeable improvement in coastal water quality, which the organization attributed to a very dry summer and winter.
With 9% less rainfall this year compared to the historical 10-year average, fewer pollutants including bacteria, trash and chemicals were washed into storm drains and on to the ocean, according to the report.
Officials recommend staying at least 100 yards away from storm drains and river outlets when entering the water and to always wait at least 72 hours after it rains before going in the ocean.
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