Jellyfish Sightings Rising In Newport Beach Due To El Niño, Rising Temps

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — Jellyfish sightings are on the rise again in Newport Beach, after officials said they've spotted quite a few jellyfish floating through the Back Bay at Newport Dunes and near the docks in recent weeks.

Newport Dunes Resort shared video of the translucent sea creatures floating around in the water on social media Tuesday.

"We’ve been seeing quite a few jellyfish floating through the Back Bay lately," Newport Dunes Resort posted. "Early fall can bring more jelly sightings to Southern California waters, making now a fun time to keep an eye on the bay."

While jellyfish sightings are nothing new to Newport Beach locals — early fall tends to bring some sightings to local waters — experts believe that El Niño is also contributing to the jellyfish uptick.

Some unexpected species have already appeared as a result of the weather phenomenon.

Hammerhead sharks have been spotted off Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties, while a whale shark was seen off Malibu and mahi-mahi, also known as dorado, were spotted near the Southern Channel Islands, museum officials said.

A longfinned bigeye caught off the Venice Fishing Pier has also been added to the museum’s collection. The species is typically found from Baja California to Peru, according to NHM Ichthyology Curator Dr. Bill Ludt.

Last month, a venomous yellow-bellied sea snake seldom spotted in Southern California washed up on Crystal Cove State Beach's shoreline.

The sighting was documented in a video posted to CBSLA.