From San Diego to Malibu, people have marveled over the last few weeks at the glow of bioluminescent waves breaking along the coast.
Now they're wrinkling their noses a bit because of a smell coming off of the water. Laura Rink, Associate Director of Heal the Bay Aquarium in Santa Monica, tells KNX News' Pete Demetriou, "it's totally a natural phenomenon."
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Rink said the algae that create the ocean spectacle are living organisms, and like all living things, they eventually die.
"Right now, we are experiencing that die-off," Rink said. "The algae is decomposing. It's essentially rotting out in our ocean waters, and...it doesn't smell good after a while."
The intensity of the odor varies from place to place, with the wind playing a significant role, but Rink said it is expected to last only a couple of days.
In the meantime, close the windows and stay out of the ocean because exposure to the dying algae could cause skin irritation.
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