Latest News

New Ocean Awareness Mural In Santa Monica



The Ocean Awareness mural "Against the Currents" at Santa Monica High School is finally complete. The work is a collaboration with LA-based artist Sandra Nguyen, the City of Santa Monica Office of Sustainability and the Environment.



Exploring the depths of the Pacific Ocean - featuring the elusive Pacific eel, mesmerizing jellyfish, and the towering giant sea kelp.



The Garibaldi fish is not only a stunning species native to the Pacific Ocean but also the California state marine fish. With its vibrant orange color, it can often be found in rocky intertidal areas and kelp forests along the Pacific coast.



The leopard shark, native to the Pacific coast, is a graceful and harmless species that plays an important role in the ocean ecosystem.


The bat ray, native to the Pacific Ocean, is a graceful and fascinating species.


The Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is a species of sea turtle that can be found in the Pacific Ocean.


Rowing towards a cleaner ocean.


LA-based artist Sandra Nguyen putting the final touches on a new mural along 4th Street.

Below is the wall before the mural was painted:

Bomb Scare At Venice Beach



On Monday morning, a man left a "suspicious package" next to a port-a-potty in a Venice Beach parking lot. LAPD responded to the call from a witness who stated the man tried to get into the locked bathroom (port-a-potty), and when he couldn't get the locked door open, he left a briefcase on the ground near it and walked away.



Venice Pier Surfing on Winter Morning



Surfing at the Venice Beach Pier on January 11, 2023. Video edited from our Instagram Story footage of this day.



High Surf Alert



Dangerous marine conditions are expected tonight through Wed night, with NW Gales likely and large steep seas. In addition, high surf will affect many beaches, along with strong rip currents.

SFLA Venice Pier Public Beach Cleanup



Jump into spring with us at a beach cleanup from 10am-12pm on the northside of the Venice Pier! We will be collecting trash off of our coasts and engaging in a morning of community and connection with fellow volunteers like you.

Sun, Mar 26, 2023
10:00AM-12:00PM

For more info and to register, Click Here

Rain Runoff



Runoff from Los Angeles after recent rains.

Photo via TC.


Malibu Installs Automatic License Plate Readers



The City of Malibu installed first of City-purchased, solar/battery Automatic License Plate Reader cameras in Malibu, giving Sherrifs Deputies an additional enforcement tool for theft, property crime & other public safety issues.

“The goal of the ALPR cameras is to enhance public safety by providing usable license plate data for use by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the contracted agency for law enforcement services,"the Public Safety Commission states. The locations are: PCH/Lunita Road, PCH/Kanan Dume Road, Malibu Canyon Road/Civic Center Way, PCH/Cross Creek Road, and PCH/South Topanga Canyon Boulevard.



Daniel - Surf Chats with Topanga Lou



"Surf Sunset For 2 Years First."

Surfing Chart House



That rare day that Chart House has surfable waves.



Sunday Surfing Venice with Hecho En Venice



Oscar from Hecho En Venice checking the surfing at the Venice Pier on a Sunday morning.



Video - Surfing Venice Breakwater



Winter swell morning at the Venice Breakwater.



Caught Stealing Scooters In Santa Monica



From Santa Monica Close Up:

/"In Santa Monica on Sunday, February 26, 2023, police officers arrested a man who allegedly stole two electric scooters from a bike rental vendor at Santa Monica Beach. After responding to a 911 call reporting the theft, police spotted a man near the 1700 block of Main Street and identified him as the suspect. The victim also confirmed the man's identity."

Santa Monica Close Up is a photo blog by Santa Monica based Photojournalist/Press photographer Fabian Lewkowicz. Fabian is the former staff photographer for the Santa Monica Daily Observer Press, Santa Monica Mirror, Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Corsair.

Support Santa Monica Closeup/Fabian Lewkowicz with Venmo or PayPal to help earn money to make these videos:

https://venmo.com/u/santamonicacloseup

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/fabianlewkowicz

$100,000,000 Ocean Front Mansion in Malibu



High Wind Alert For Malibu



Rain up to 1.25" total, wind 30-50 mph expected in Malibu thru Wed, March 1. Crews are patrolling & clearing roads & drainage. Be prepared for hazardous roads, water, mud & rocks; potential power/traffic signal outages.

Heather - Surf Chats with Topanga Lou



"Learn Surf Etiquette to Protect Everyone."

Tons of Garbage Spills Into Ocean, onto Beach in Santa Monica



Garbage from the Pico Storm Drain flows out into the Santa Monica Bay during a winter storm.



Venice Healer Daisy Vs Santa Monica Police Station



Venice Healer Daisy goes over to the Santa Monica Police station to rant about Orange County courts not letting her see her children that were removed from her several years ago.

Click Here for more Stories about Venice Healer Daisy

Ocean Water Quality Rain Advisory



The Ocean Water Quality Rain Advisory has been extended for all Los Angeles County beaches. The advisory will be in effect at least until 10:30AM, Wednesday, March 1st. Beach goers should avoid water context for at least 72 hours after significant rainfall.

All LA Beaches Closed Due To Lightning Strikes



All LA County Beaches are now closed due to lightning strikes as the storm tracks North along the coast. Los Angeles County Fire Department, Lifeguard made the announcement at approx 12Pm on Saturday.

Mudslide Closed Topanga Canyon



B+SB lanes of Topanga Canyon Blvd (Route 27) from PCH (Route 1) to Grand View Dr were closed for about 1 hour Saturday afternoon due to a mudslide.



Police Dig Out Abandoned Car Stuck On Venice Beach



From Santa Monica Close Up:

"On Friday, February 24, 2023, Los Angeles Police Officers were called to Venice Beach to remove an abandoned car that had become stuck in the sand. The Mercedes-Benz SUV was found to be unreported stolen, and after extensive efforts to dig it out, was towed and impounded."

Santa Monica Close Up is a photo blog by Santa Monica based Photojournalist/Press photographer Fabian Lewkowicz. Fabian is the former staff photographer for the Santa Monica Daily Observer Press, Santa Monica Mirror, Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Corsair.

Support Santa Monica Closeup/Fabian Lewkowicz with Venmo or PayPal to help earn money to make these videos:

https://venmo.com/u/santamonicacloseup

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/fabianlewkowicz

Special Marine Warning



Special Marine Warning including the Outer waters from Santa Cruz Island to San Clemente Island to 60 NM offshore including San Nicolas and Santa Barbara Islands and East Santa Barbara Channel from Pt. Conception to Pt. Mugu CA including Santa Cruz Island until 10:30 PM PST

Surfing Huge Waves Venice Pier - Crowd Reactions & Heckling



Several surfers out at the Venice Pier on huge closeouts and barrels, while the crowd on the pier watches, comments, and heckles..

All clips come from our Instagram Stories of this session.



Snowing At Venice Beach



Big Winter Waves At Venice Pier



Winter swell at the Venice Beach Pier.



Russ - Surf Chats with Topanga Lou



"Learn To Be A Good Swimmer First."

Venice Love Fest 2023



Join us for the Venice Love Fest 💗 on Saturday, March 18th, 2023. 11am - 7pm in downtown Mar Vista, on Venice Blvd. We invite you to the ultimate weekend adventure.

Join us at The Garland in North Hollywood for a screening of Wade in the Water documentary. Brought to you by Black Surfer Collective

Stroll the fest grounds as you enjoy a day filled with musical performances, activities for the entire family, Shop local artists & designers, musical performances, food trucks, beer gardens, Vintage Car Show, and so much more! ☮️🫶🏽🎶

The Fest will be located in between Centinela & Inglewood Blvd. The city has closed Venice Blvd. for this event. The event will be held in the street.

Date and time
Sun, March 18, 2023,
11:00 AM – 7:00 PM PDT

Location
12257 Venice Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90066

For tickets and more info, Click Here

Clean Up Venice Beach



We are seeking people who are passionate about keeping our California beaches clean!

We are seeking people who are passionate about keeping our California beaches clean!

Earn Community Service Hours while learning the importance of why we should care about Venice Beach and should "Be Nice to VeNice" by keeping it trash-free!

Please complete the information below with the dates and number of people.

We meet at 📍 Venice Beach: Lifeguard Tower#19Our meet up station will be at a green pop-up Tent.

Use the address for Venice Beach Rentals for the meet up location:

2100-1 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, CA 90291r



Sun, February 26, 2023
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM PST

Venice Beac
2100-1 Ocean Front Walk
Los Angeles, CA 90291



For more info, Click Here

Santa Monica Beach Cleanup With On Trail With



Come join Wild Keeper Cesar and On Trail With to clean up Santa Monica Beach!

Randy Hild and our guests all worked with designer Clive Piercy over a ten-year period. Their groundbreaking collaboration came to define surf culture as we understand it today.

Meeting at Santa Monica Beach State Park, use this coordinate: 34.01327° N, 118.50019° W

Sun, February 26, 2023
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM PST

Santa Monica State Beach
Santa Monica, CA 90405

For more info, Click Here

Exploring Native Land & Cleanup: Tongva Park & Santa Monica Beach



Explore the beauty of nature and the rich history of the Gabrielino Tongva.

Sat, February 25, 2023,
2:30 PM – 6:00 PM PST

Tongva Park
1615 Ocean Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Join your fellow Nature loving community members on February 25th at 3pm-6pm for a cleanup Nature walk hosted by Josh Adujo

The Gabrielino Tongva are the first peoples of this land and have lived in the Los Angeles Basin region for thousands of years. This is a unique opportunity to learn about their history and culture, while also giving back to the community by helping to keep the nature area clean.

For more info, Click Here

QUIKSILVER and ROXY- Branding, design and surf culture



Join the conversation with the creative minds behind the ascendance of surf culture and its crossover to fashion and retail.

Randy Hild and our guests all worked with designer Clive Piercy over a ten-year period. Their groundbreaking collaboration came to define surf culture as we understand it today.

Moderator: Randy Hild (formerly Quiksilver/creative consultant)

Panel Guests:
1. Steve Jones: Visual Director and Quiksilver/Roxy store designer
2. Maria Barnes : ‘Quiksilver - Alex Goes’ Director
3. Lissa Zwahlen: Roxy and ‘Quiksilver - Alex Goes’ Designer

Sat, March 11, 2023,
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM PST

Art Center College of Design
1700 Lida
Street Pasadena, CA 91103

For more info, Click Here