Summer/Beach

Beaches in Los Angeles County are back in biz, and folks are taking advantage right away in the sand and surf -- but some kinds of fun are still off-limits.

After 6 weeks away, a steady stream of people headed to the beaches in Malibu, Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach throughout the day Wednesday, and, so far, Dr. Anthony Fauci would be happy.

It seems social distancing guidelines are being followed, at least for now.

Of course, it might not be easy to stay 6-feet away from someone in the water ... but swimming and surfing are allowed for this phase of reopening, as the city attempts to ease stay-at-home orders.

Other approved beach activities include walking, running and other exercises ... as long as you wear a face-covering out of the water and around others, and physical distancing is maintained.

What's out -- sitting, lounging or sunbathing ... gathering under canopies or picnicking on blankets, coolers, and group activities like beach volleyball. Also, beach parking lots, bike paths, piers and boardwalks are still closed.

Despite the limitations, it seems people are eager to get back to the beach for whatever fun in the sun they can get after nearly 2 months on lockdown.

Health experts have said outdoor activity is actually good for fending off COVID-19 ... as long as people are safe and smart about it.

The shark that killed a California surfer was probably feeling really comfortable in those waters, thanks to the recent absence of humans ... according to wildlife biologist Forrest Galante.

The Animal Planet star tells TMZ ... shark attacks are always a case of mistaken identity as they hunt for seals. Forrest says this shark probably hadn't seen a surfer there in ages ... setting the stage for the fatal mistake.

As we reported ... a 26-year-old Ben Kelly was attacked and killed by a shark while catching waves Saturday off the coast of Santa Cruz County.

A photog for KRON-TV in the Bay Area said he spotted 15 great whites swimming near shore the day of the attack, and has been seeing lots of sharks near shore recently.

Forrest says the increase in shark sightings makes sense ... because with most humans in quarantine and less folks venturing into the ocean, sharks are hunting in areas previously packed with people.

We've seen animals starting to reclaim their habitats as humans shelter in place -- from squirrels overrunning a Santa Monica park to goats overrunning a town in Wales ... and the sheep roaming free on an English golf course.

Forrest says sharks are acting just like land animals ... setting up shop in areas previously frequented by humans, which is what he thinks happened to Ben.

California's set to reopen even more beaches for surfing and swimming this week -- so, Forrest told us if there's any reason to be more afraid of entering the ocean.

This is kinda shocking, but Carnival Cruise enthusiasts aren't letting the pandemic scare 'em away from boarding ships with hundreds of passengers.

A rep with Cruise Planners, an American Express​ Travel Representative, travel franchise, tells TMZ ... after Carnival announced this week it would resume some cruises in August, its clients immediately began reaching out to book their reservations first and nab the most premium deals.

We're told in the 3 days after Carnival's announcement ... Cruise Planners' Carnival bookings shot up 600 percent compared to the previous 3 days before the news. That makes sense, but more interestingly, it's a 200 percent increase over the same time period in 2019 -- when folks traveled without fear of the novel coronavirus.

The travel company tells us those booking Carnival cruises were "not a bit concerned about traveling at this time" because many stated they are young and healthy, and just looking to have some fun after being cooped up for so long.

Though Carnival's plan is to resume some of its cruises on August 1, it's made it clear there's no guarantee, saying ... "We continue to work with various government agencies, including the CDC, as we introduce new onboard protocols, but there is no assurance of a return on August 1."

Sorry, Gavin Newsom ... try valiantly as you have, but it seems there's no way you can stop people from flocking to the Pacific to catch a glimpse of those bioluminescent waves ... beach closures be damned!!!

Check out the scene this weekend at Toes Beach in the L.A. neighborhood, Playa del Rey ... there's a caravan of cars stretching around the block and large groups of people descending on the sand ... all just to see the glowing blue ocean.

It's pretty insane actually ... people were waiting in line in their cars just to snag a parking spot, hop out and trudge over the dunes to see the neon action caused by an annual algae bloom.

As you know ... L.A. County beaches remain closed due to the raging pandemic, but people are having a hard time staying away and following orders because of the beautiful show put on each night by Ma Nature.

The beach was crammed with hundreds of people, and while most were social distancing, some were mowing over the caution tape set up to keep people off the sand.

The neighborhood was packed with families, couples, photographers and the like ... and the crowds were reminiscent of July 4, only instead of fireworks in the nearby marina, people wanna see the bioluminescence.

Cali's also under a shelter-in-place order ... so no one's gonna classify this as an "essential" trip out of the house. Sure, neon waves are amazing, but it seems slightly less pressing than say ... finding toilet paper or getting food.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... no one called the cops on the crowds, but if they did, police would respond and educate folks about social distancing.

April Love Geary is ashamed to be from Huntington Beach because of all the "white privilege" punks, as she put it, protesting SoCal beach closures.

Robin Thicke's fiancee went off Friday on the protesters, calling them out for their utter disregard of people's health during this coronavirus pandemic. She said "it's the most white privilege bulls**t" thing she's seen.

Check out the video ... April says it's ridiculous that Black Lives Matter protesters across the country have been met by cops in riot gear, while Huntington Beach protesters -- with much less melanin -- are allowed to exercise their right to free speech. All while cops stand idly by without riot gear.

She urges protesters to keep their asses at home, and adds, "It's not that hard."

The demonstrations started after California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered the closure of all Orange County beaches, starting this weekend. Some protesters carried signs that read, "Masks don't work. My body, my choice."

As we reported ... heavily-armed protesters stormed Michigan's statehouse after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended the state's emergency stay-at-home order until the end of May.

There's a war on the beach in Orange County!

There's also a giant penis on the beach in Orange County!

And, local news covered 'em both!

Here's the deal ... with California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordering the closure of all Orange County beaches, several people hit the sand Friday to protest the decision.

One excited beachgoer decided to send a message by drawing a giant design on the shore ... a giant phallus!

And, as the whole thing was being covered by the good people at KTLA, the sand schlong made the shot!

The best part of the whole thing ... the reporter talking about a "hard closure" just as they pan over the wiener.

Stay safe, everyone!

Leave it to Sofia Richie to deliver some sobering news while still looking like she stepped off a bikini runway, but she could just be breaking the law because it looks like that runway is closed.

Sofia hopped on her e-bike Wednesday and hit the beach ... social distancing was not an issue because the beach was empty. Unclear what beach she was at, but L.A. County beaches are closed, and she was definitely in Malibu Wednesday, which is off-limits.  Nevertheless, it's hard to dispute her declaration summer 2020 is over before it begins.

Sofia's BF, Scott Disick, had a lighter spin on things ... calling his Wednesday "Earth Day at its finest" with some help from his e-bike. He looked like he was having a ball, for sure, but again, he's tooling around without a mask, and if it's L.A. County, the beaches are closed. Maybe Sofia hadn't told him yet about summer getting out of dodge.

Things were much simpler just 8 months ago when Sofia turned 21. She got a couple of cars for her birthday -- seriously, a Bentley and Range Roger -- and hopped on a jet with Kylie.

Ah, the good ol' days.

Jacksonville, FL Beachgoers Don't seem at all concerned with the number of coronavirus deaths and cases on the rise ... because they hit the sand Friday and packed in like sardines.

It's a crazy sight, as the sun worshipers took their chances by getting in close contact with other beachgoers.

Jacksonville's mayor, Lenny Curry, celebrated the trek to the beach saying, "This can be the beginning of the pathway back to normal life."

President Trump is clearly encouraging people to break quarantine, with Tweets like, "LIBERATE MICHIGAN," "LIBERATE VIRGINIA," and "LIBERATE MINNESOTA."

He's clearly dog-whistling, because he threw in this ... "And save your great 2nd Amendment."

Not hard to read between the lines ... he's telling his stalwarts to ignore the advice of doctors, scientists, their governor and mayor, because they're Americans dammit.