Photos: Blessing of the Waves

The Blessing of the Waves is an annual celebration that includes officials from various religions. This year organizers decided to include a more somber note: a moment of silence for victims of recent natural disasters in Southeast Asia.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Father Matt Munoz, left, associate pastor at St. Irenaeus Parish in Cypress and the Rev Christian Mondor, 84, center, of Saints Simon and Jude Catholic Church in Huntington Beach head out to the waves Sunday. Religions represented at the event also included Judaism, Islam, Zoroastrianism and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Mondor, right, blesses Munoz before Munoz heads into the surf. Organizers called on participants to curb environmental degradation.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Father Matt Munoz of St. Irenaeus Parish of Cypress rides a wave after the second annual Blessing of the Waves at the Huntington Beach Pier.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The image of the Virgin Mary is painted on a surfboard.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Worshipers gathered to share song and prayer.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Scott Tavake, 13, blows into a conch shell to signal the beginning of prayer on the pier, where worshipers listened to the hymns of a 20-member Tongan choir. Surfers were to carry the song with them into the ocean for the victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga and Indonesia.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

A Tongan choir sings at the edge of the ocean in rememberance of the victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga and Indonesia.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)