Niño shifts exotic sea creatures to Southern California's coast. Here's what anglers are seeing

Off Orange County and beyond, anglers are reporting unusual catches linked to the super El Niño currently warming the Pacific. On Wednesday, Captain Brandon Erdo’s 95-foot Dana Pride fished near-capacity with 37 of 40 spots filled after social media buzz. Veteran Chuck Freeman reeled in an approximately 2-foot bullet tuna—his first in 47 years—then caught another. Scientists say a warm “blob” developing earlier this year has shifted the ecosystem, bringing species typically rare in California waters. Beachgoers and anglers from Orange County to Malibu have reported sightings including whale and hammerhead sharks, devil rays, and wahoos. Still, the number of fish caught appears lower than during the last major El Niño and marine heat wave a decade ago.