What’s it like to volunteer for a SeaWorld beach cleanup?

For years, SeaWorld has organized beach cleanups in Florida and California, and pass members are invited to join team members at some of these community events. This past weekend, my family and I were able to participate in such an event at Cocoa Beach.

Frequent readers of my blog may know that my tween daughter loves dolphins and is interested in a career in marine biology. So, this was not our first beach cleanup because these events are a way for her to involved with the environment she enjoys and appreciates. However, this was our first time participating in a cleanup hosted by SeaWorld, and there are a few differences. Here’s what you can expect.

SeaWorld usually hosts beach cleanups that are open to pass members in June for World Oceans Day and in September for Coastal Cleanup Day. Watch the pass member website and direct mailings for the announcements. Then, if you want to participate, sign up as soon as possible because spots fill up quickly.

Once you’re registered, you will be sent an email confirmation with directions and a safety waiver you are asked to print, sign and bring to the event.

When we arrived, we signed in and completed additional waivers to allow SeaWorld to photograph and video us that day. Then we each were given a SeaWorld Cares T-shirt and asked to wear them for the event. The shirts are soft with an understated design — a nice souvenir after they served their purpose at the cleanup.

We also were provided with gloves, trash bags, hand sanitizer, bug spray and an ocean trash data form from the Ocean Conservancy. We were asked to keep track of the types of trash we collected on the beach. According to the form, we were most likely to find cigarette butts, food wrappers, plastic and foam take out containers, plastic and metal bottle caps, plastic lids, straws and utensils. Sure enough, my family alone picked up more than 100 cigarette butts.

Our large group of SeaWorld pass members and team members fanned out in both directions on the beach at Lori Wilson Park and worked steadily for about two hours. During that time, we were given bottles of water and encouraged to take breaks as needed because it was a humid, hot 88 degrees that day.

At the end of our shift, we stacked our bags of trash on the beach and gathered for a group photo. We were told at that time that we would each be given a complimentary print of the group photo, which we could pick up during our next visit to SeaWorld. Another nice surprise!

My family and I had a positive experience volunteering with SeaWorld Orlando and would encourage pass members of all ages to give the beach cleanups a try. Volunteering gave us an opportunity to see another side of SeaWorld’s conservation efforts and how small things can make a big difference to the sea life around us.

** If you want to join a SeaWorld event (or, really, any theme-park event), sign up as soon as possible because spots fill up quickly.

** SeaWorld team members are happy to sign forms for students who are earning community service hours. My teen son is in the process of doing this, and he earned two hours for his efforts at the beach cleanup.

** Want to get involved with a beach cleanup before the next one hosted by SeaWorld? Keep Brevard Beautiful organizes beach cleanups each month. (Brevard is the county for Cocoa Beach and many of the Florida east coast beaches south of New Smyrna and Daytona.) Check keepbrevardbeautiful.org for the current schedule, which now includes cleanups at Satellite Beach and Indian Harbour Beach.

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