King Tides trigger coastal flooding warning in SoCal as dozens gather at Manhattan Beach Pier

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- The surf is up but authorities say this is not the time to ride the waves because King Tides are here and causing issues.

Dozens of onlookers packed the Manhattan Beach pier Friday morning for a chance to see the King Tides, some visiting from as far east as New York.

"There really is no better show than the one that Mother Nature can put on, so the second that I heard about King Tides, which I had never heard of before, I was like, we have to absolutely go see it, no questions," said Elizabeth Luke, who was visiting from Brooklyn.

King Tides are the highest tides of the year and usually happen in the winter.

"This happens every year but what scientists are really interested in is seeing the snapshot of how high the tides come every year so that we can prepare later on when sea level rises get to be more and the ocean is creeping up even more along our coastal communities," said Marissa Wu, Roundhouse Aquarium Programs and Operations director.

Volunteers from the Roundhouse Aquarium were on hand to educate the public and discuss the King Tides' importance.

During King Tides you also see some of the lowest low tide. Friday's low tide was expected to begin at 4:30 p.m.

To learn more about King Tides you can visit the California King Tides Project website, which includes a map of photos from recent King Tides.