Grunion Fish-tival: Make Crafts, Watch Grunion

The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium throws a party for its celebrity silver-hued superstars.

If you're into a certain animal -- say, the California brown bear or Great White Sharks or Masai giraffes or the otters of the Central Coast -- you can generally find items that have the name or photo of the beastie you adore.

Mugs, tees, plushies? They're out there.

Grunion people though have a longer beach to walk in this regard. The local mall probably doesn't have a lot of grunion t-shirts (if your mall does, it is probably the coolest mall on the planet). And finding a grunion calendar will take a lot of digging in the calendar bin.

Enter Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. While grunion items are in shorter supply, compared with other animals, wonder is not. You'll behold one of nature's most magnificent wonders, should you go on the right night. 

Yes, you'll see fish wriggling onto the beach to spawn.

Those fish, which are members of the silversides family, follow the moon and tides when planning their annual spawning. And the San Pedro aquarium follows the grunions' schedule, hosting Meet the Grunion nights and one very special Grunion Fish-tival.

The Grunion Fish-tival, set for May 19, is all about strolling down to the beach to spy the late-night spawnfest, yes. But there are also grunion-themed crafts to enjoy, grunion origami to make, and a chance to chat with grunion researchers.

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Call it a supercharged night for grunionists who need more of their obsession but just can't find the grunion goods. We know -- it isn't about the stuff but the experience. But who wouldn't want a tiny grunion origami hanging from the kitchen window, to remind them of a night out in San Pedro watching fish shimmy onto land?

That is surely one special souvenir, no tees or plushies required.

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