You’re walking down the Santa Monica Pier. The sun is setting, someone is playing a guitar near the Ferris wheel, and the Pacific looks endless. Naturally, you start wondering what’s down there. Between the sea lions and the surfers, you might have heard whispers—or seen a weird meme—about the infamous blobfish lurking in Southern California waters. It's a fun image. This sad, melting pink face just chilling under the waves while people above eat churros.
But here’s the thing. If you’re looking for a blobfish in Santa Monica, you’re going to be looking for a long, long time.
Actually, you’d need a submarine and a death wish to find one. Most people think of the blobfish as this floppy, pathetic creature with a human-like nose, but that’s not even what they look like in the wild. And while the Santa Monica Bay is full of surprises, this particular celebrity doesn't usually hang out in our backyard.
The Deep Truth About the Santa Monica "Blob"
The Santa Monica Bay is actually pretty shallow for a long way out. Most of the bay stays under 500 feet deep. To a blobfish (Psychrolutes marcidus), that's basically a kiddie pool. These fish are extreme introverts of the deep sea. They live in the "midnight zone," specifically between 2,000 and 4,000 feet down.
At that depth, the pressure is about 120 times higher than what we feel at the surface. Imagine having a dozen elephants standing on your head. That’s where the blobfish is most comfortable.
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If you head further out from the Santa Monica coast, the seafloor eventually drops off into the Santa Monica Basin. It gets deep—nearly 3,000 feet. Technically, that’s deep enough for certain members of the Psychrolutidae family, like the Blob Sculpin (Psychrolutes phrictus). These are the Pacific cousins of the famous Australian blobfish. While researchers from places like the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) have spotted them off the California coast, they aren't exactly swimming up to the sand at Will Rogers State Beach.
Why They Look Like a "Melted Grumpy Grandpa"
We’ve all seen the photo. The one that won "World's Ugliest Animal" in 2013. Honestly, it was a bit of a smear campaign.
When a blobfish is in its natural habitat, it looks like... well, a fish. It’s got a normal face, a tail, and it stays held together by the massive weight of the ocean. They don't have a traditional skeleton or hard muscles because those would just snap or crush under the pressure. Instead, they’re made of a gelatinous mass that’s slightly less dense than water.
The "blob" happens because of decompression.
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When a fisherman’s net pulls them to the surface, the drop in pressure is catastrophic. Their tissue expands. Their skin collapses. Basically, they suffer the worst case of "the bends" in history. That "nose" everyone laughs at is actually just a bloated, collapsed forehead.
What Actually Lives in Santa Monica Bay?
Since you won't find a blobfish at the pier, what is down there? The Santa Monica Bay is a massive Marine Protected Area (MPA) with a lot of cooler (and less melted) stuff to see.
- Leopard Sharks: You can often see these guys in the surf near Malibu or Santa Monica. They have beautiful spots and are totally harmless to humans.
- Garibaldi: Our state marine fish. They’re bright orange, extremely territorial, and surprisingly loud if you get too close while diving.
- The Northern Tidewater Goby: A tiny, endangered fish that local aquariums, like the Aquarium of the Pacific, have been working hard to protect.
- Giant Sea Bass: These can grow up to 500 pounds. They’re basically the gentle giants of the kelp forests.
If you really want to see deep-sea weirdness without the drive to Australia, you're better off visiting the Heal the Bay Aquarium right under the pier or the Roundhouse Aquarium in Manhattan Beach. They focus on local species, so you’ll see things like Swell Sharks—which can literally puff themselves up with water to hide in rocks—and the California Spiny Lobster.
How to Respect the Local Marine Life
Even though the blobfish is a no-show, the animals that do live here need our help. Santa Monica deals with a lot of urban runoff, especially after it rains.
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Trash from the streets washes straight into the bay through storm drains. That plastic doesn't just float; it breaks down and enters the food chain. If you want to keep the "blob-free" waters of Santa Monica healthy, there are a few simple things you can do.
- Skip the plastic straws and bags when you're grabbing food on the Promenade.
- Dispose of your fishing line properly at the designated bins on the pier. Birds and sea lions get tangled in it constantly.
- Check the water quality report before you swim, especially after a storm. Groups like Heal the Bay release a "Beach Report Card" every week.
The ocean is a wild place. It’s easy to get caught up in the internet-famous creatures like the blobfish, but the real magic of Santa Monica is in the kelp forests and the tide pools. You don't need a deep-sea submersible to see something amazing; you just need a pair of goggles and a bit of respect for the water.
To dive deeper into local conservation, check out the latest recovery efforts for the Northern Tidewater Goby or visit a local aquarium to see how they're protecting the Santa Monica Bay ecosystem from the impacts of climate change and pollution.