Shocking Footage Shows Hundreds of Corbina (fish) in Shallow Water

A massive school of corbina was cruising through the surf at a local San Diego beach seemingly unphased by the surfers and swimmers nearby.

As I filmed this experience from my DJI Mini SE above, a couple of swimmers and surfers cruised directly through a school of what appeared to be corbina (only other possibility is spotfin croaker). The school of fish was estimated to be around one thousand fish.

As you watch the video, you’ll see a large school to the left of a surfer and swimmer. If you look immediately above (to the right of) these beachgoers, you’ll see the other half of the school.

Southern California is known for it’s stunning beaches, but while surfers and swimmers flock to the shoreline, few people know what’s out there swimming with them. No, I’m not talking about great whites, I’m talking about California Corbina.

Corbina are one of a number of local species of fish in So Cal’s surf and they’re highly sought after by the local angling community. The footage above will likely leave surf anglers across Southern California with their mouths watering. Just the thought of dropping a line into that school of fish is exciting enough!

It’s Normal for Corbina to Be in Shallow Water

This behavior shows what these fish go through on a day-to-day basis as they’ve learned to live alongside humans in their habitat. While it’s “normal” to see them this close, to see them in these numbers is quite the sight.

drone footage of fish
drone footage of corbina cruising in just inches of water

In the summertime, corbina spend the majority of their time in water that’s just a couple feet deep and often only a couple inches deep. They come extremely close to shore as sand crabs are atop their diet.

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