Six-pack rings still make their appearance on the beach despite the heavy and unfavorable publicity they have gotten for strangling seals and sea lions that catch them around the neck when young and can't shake them as they grow, and pelicans that snag them while dive bombing for fish and starve because they can't get their bills open. The success of Clean Coast seems to be its ability to absorb and put to good use people who harbor a wide variety of political beliefs and work ethics. Some are out to save the earth, while others are out for a pleasant day on the water. Somehow, no one is made to feel out of sync with the mission of the organization. The ease makes it more attractive.
Some members are die-hard enthusiasts.
Mark Lewis is one such. An emergency room doctor, he often works 24-hour shifts and drives directly to a clean up from the hospital. He has missed only two clean ups this year. Participation in Clean Coast gives him a chance to put his 21-foot Walk Around Cutty to good use, he says modestly.