About 126,000 gallons of significant crude oil leaked into the waters in Southern California over the weekend that now threatens marine life and scenic beaches.

In a news release, Amplify Energy Corp., the Houston-based company that owns the pipeline the oil is leaking from, notified the US Coast Guard on Saturday after an oil sheen was spotted in the water near Huntington Beach.

The company said they shut down all of their production and pipeline operations at the Beta Field as a precautionary measure.

NBC News reported that on Sunday, crews had recovered 3,150 gallons of oil from the water.

Crews said they have already found dead birds and fish washing up on the shorelines.

CNN reported that all the beach in Laguna Beach have been closed due to the oil spill.

The Associated Press reported that the suspected leak of one of the largest oil spills in recent California history was possibly caused by an underwater pipeline.

According to the AP, the culprit of the leak may have been caused by a ship's anchor striking a pipeline on the ocean floor.

The AP reported that booms were deployed on Sunday on the ocean surface.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. —

Crews raced Sunday morning to contain the damage from a major oil spill off the Orange County coast that left crude spoiling beaches, killing fish and birds and threatening local wetlands.

The oil slick is believed to have originated from a pipeline leak, pouring 126,000 gallons into the coastal waters and seeping into the Talbert Marsh as lifeguards deployed floating barriers known as booms to try to stop further incursion, said Jennifer Carey, Huntington Beach city spokesperson.

At sunrise Sunday, oil was on the sand in some parts of Huntington Beach with slicks visible in the ocean as well.

"We classify this as a major spill, and it is a high priority to us to mitigate any environmental concerns," Carey said. It's all hands on deck."