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Hermosa Beach Mystery Bubbles Traced to Fiber-Optic Cable Maintenance

Contractors say air was pumped through a trans-Pacific conduit to clear it for additional capacity.

Overview

  • A persistent patch of bubbles off Hermosa Beach between 33rd Street and Longfellow Avenue drew residents and fueled online theories.
  • Contractor Rick Devinney said crews were blowing air through an underwater fiber-optic conduit to confirm it is clear, producing visible bubbles at the surface.
  • A resident who paddled out to the site was told by workers on a boat that they were servicing a subsea cable.
  • A Nov. 6 city notice listed street closures from Nov. 10–17 near the shore but did not mention offshore work, contributing to confusion.
  • The work is expected to wrap up by Friday, and the contractor said Meta plans to add a new line in the coming months that prompted the cleaning.