SeeCalifornia.com

Photo: Baby Beach, Dana Point. Here are some Baby Beach Dana Point reviews (excerpts) on Yelp:

• This beach is hands down the best place for a toddler. no waves and lots of sand for them to run around it. My son is almost 2 and he isn’t a fan of waves so this is the place for him.
• Where is the Erin Brokovich of Orange County? Sure, this beach is super convenient if you are the parent of a toddler, but it is absolutely filthy and disgusting.
• I would give 5 stars, but the harbor causes bacteria levels that are not favorable.
• This beach is constantly rated either #1 or #2 as the most polluted beach in Orange County. Can’t believe people take their children here. Swim at your own risk !!!!!

CALIFORNIA BEACHES — You see the cute beaches all along the California coast with names to reflect gentle waters, a welcoming sight and place to take kids. With names such as Mother’s Beach or Baby Beach, visitors think, “How sweet!” Indeed the names can be cute, the playgrounds are fantastic and the beaches look inviting.  But over 50% of the time baby beaches have higher concentrations of bacteria that would put a diaper to shame. In California there are baby beaches or mom’s beaches in Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Dana Point, Marina del Rey,  San Diego and Avalon, to name a few.

Why are these beaches a problem? There are several reasons that include water circulation (or lack of it) and localized bay pollution that doesn’t get the benefit of dilution that the direct ocean water does. In cities such as Avalon and Dana Point where baby beaches are located, there’s a persistent problem relating to infrastructure. These particular bays routinely rank among the worst. Avalon has been targeted as one of L.A.’s top priorities to fix as its beaches are its main draw in Avalon, where tourism supports the local economy almost 100%.  At other California beaches such as Huntington Beach, mothers & kids beaches are situated in residential harbors & inlets where water quality is far worse than the nearby Pacific Ocean.

Because of their history of having water that could make children sick, definitely check healthebay.org’s “Beach Report Card” before you go to baby beaches and mother’s beaches in California–or anywhere, for that matter!