Here are California’s dirtiest beaches. Take a look before you take a dip

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, and dirtiest, beach 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.”

Beachgoers walk along the shore near the Santa Monica Pier.

(David Butow / For The Times)

The beach area got a low grade despite upgrades to the pier — including stormwater 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, such as the disposal of fish guts from recreational fishing, which attracts seabirds.

In a statement Thursday, the city of Santa Monica said it “continues to research and implement new strategies to address the ocean water quality directly underneath the Santa Monica Pier, a very limited area encompassing just the ocean water 100 yards north and south of the Pier.”

Those efforts are taking place in partnership with Heal the Bay, the city added.

“We are proud that, thanks to decades of city policies and programs, Santa Monica’s three miles of coastline consistently receive an outstanding health grade,” the statement said.

Over the years, Santa Monica has taken several steps to address water quality under the pier — including diverting storm water to the city’s “Clean Beaches” tank.

City officials said piers can pose a unique water quality challenge due to poorer circulation of ocean water.

Heal the Bay’s 10 dirtiest beaches

1. Playa Blanca (Baja California, Mexico)
2. Santa Monica Pier (Los Angeles County)
3. Tijuana Slough at Tijuana River mouth (San Diego County)
4. Chicken Ranch Beach at channel (Marin County)
5. Linda Mar Beach at San Pedro Creek (San Mateo County)
6. Erckenbrack Park, Foster City (San Mateo County)
7. Tijuana Slough, north of Tijuana River (San Diego County)
8. Border Field State Park at Monument Road (San Diego County)
9. Imperial Beach at Seacoast Drive (San Diego County)
10. 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 the year before that.

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. Every beach on that list was in Orange County.

California’s top 10 ‘honor roll’ beaches

1. Balboa Beach at the Wedge (Orange County)
2. Balboa Pier beach (Orange County)
3. Capistrano County Beach, South Capistrano Bay (Orange County)
4. Crystal Cove State Park (Orange County)
5. Dana Point Harbor (Orange County)
6. Huntington City Beach (Orange County)
7. Laguna Beach (Orange County)
8. Newport Bay (Orange County)
9. North Aliso County Beach (Orange County)
10. San Clemente Pier (Orange County)

The 62-beach honor roll includes 34 in Orange County, 12 in San Diego County, and seven in L.A. 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 are 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, something the organization attributed to a very dry summer and winter.

With 9% less rainfall this year compared with the historical 10-year average, fewer pollutants, such as bacteria, trash and chemicals, washed into storm drains and onto 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.