REDONDO BEACH, California - Millions of dead sardines were found floating on Tuesday in a harbor marina just south of Los Angeles, puzzling authorities and triggering a massive cleanup effort.

Television news footage showed masses of dead fish, said by a police spokesman to be about 0.3 meters deep on the surface, choking the waters in and around dozens of private boat slips in King Harbor Marina in Redondo Beach.

"Essentially Basin 1 of Redondo Beach Harbor is full of dead sardines floating on the water, probably five percent of the total basin harbor is filled with sardines that are dead," California Department of Fish and Game spokesman Andrew Hughan said.