Brace for a chilly morning if you’re going to head to the Manhattan Beach Pier on Saturday, Dec. 6, to see the highest tides of the year and help document ongoing sea level rise.
The Roundhouse Aquarium will host the 2025 King Tide Watch event from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Manhattan Beach Pier, the aquarium announced recently.
From the pier, attendees will get a direct vantage point to observe the phenomenon that typically happens about twice each year. King tides are the most visually dramatic high tides, which are created when the sun, moon and Earth all align.
Local scientists, marine educators and climate activists will also be present at the watch event, according to a press release, which is part of the California Coastal Commission’s King Tide Project.
More than just something to marvel at, the King Tide Watch is a community science effort to provide a glimpse into the future. Participants will take and share photos to help document how rising sea levels impact the California coastline in real time.
Scientists have long warned about rising sea levels along the California coast, and these extreme tides give a preview of what the coastlines could look like in the coming decades.
If you go
The 2025 King Tide Watch will take place from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at the base of the Manhattan Beach Pier, 2 Manhattan Beach Blvd., next to the lifeguard tower and bike path. Register at roundhouseaquarium.org.
Participants are encouraged to bring sunglasses and a hat, a camera or phone, a reusable water bottle or thermos and to dress in warm layers.