California beachgoer says ocean water is 'hot now' as locals point to 'off-the-charts' El Niño

For many Southern Californians, cool ocean water comes with the territory.

That is why one Orange County beachgoer's observation that the surf felt unusually warm struck a nerve online and quickly sparked a conversation about changing ocean conditions.

Here's what to know

In a Reddit thread posted to the site's r/OrangeCounty community, the original poster wrote: "I am very confused why the beach water is hot now. In my whole life living here, it's never been hot! This will only bring more sharks, like in Florida, and so many other things, we can't even imagine!"

The post drew hundreds of comments from locals trying to make sense of why the water felt so different. Several pointed to El Niño, the climate pattern that can shift winds and ocean currents and, in turn, affect sea surface temperatures along the West Coast.

One commenter wrote: "This is literally an off the charts El Niño. Meaning the ocean is warmer than recorded history."

Another user chimed in to say: "It's the El Niño. It's been hot since July."

A third user offered a simple explanation: "Basically since everyone is just saying El Niño and not actually explaining it. Normally the ocean currents in the west coast flow from north to south. Cold water from north. El Niño this shifts into the hot water from the south flowing north."

Other users said storms may also have helped intensify the warm water.

One Redditor added: "Additionally there were three hurricanes off the pacific coast moving from the south to the north west bringing abundant warm water to us. Doesn't happen often but there's a reason why the water is warmer."

Importantly, others brought climate change into the discussion.

One commenter explained: "El Niño + climate change = hotter temps and that affects the entire globe… We are cooked, quite literally."

"This is also why we have mosquitoes traveling farther north, bringing fun new diseases. El Nino and climate change," another added.

Where can I learn more?

For more on what's driving unusually warm water, these stories look at the ocean patterns and coastal changes behind it. 

• Forecasters say damaging heat could hit half the global ocean as El Niño returns.

• Across the Pacific, a marine heat wave covers 13.5% of Earth and may jolt weather.

• In Southern California, the future of beaches looks increasingly constrained by rising seas.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.