OUR IMPACT

Paddle Out Plastic's impact can be seen in many ways, including seeing our cleanup sites before and after our work, looking at data of waterborne trash our volunteers pick up, viewing our end of year report, seeing the abundance of wildlife we work to protect, and taking a look at

some of the odd items we have collected.

Cleanups Before and After

These photos (click to see a larger image) show the results of some of our cleanup efforts. Currents, eddies, tides, boat traffic, kelp and sea grass sometimes cause waterborne trash to collect in specific places, but often the trash is dispersed across a wide area of open water or channels, making it harder to find and collect and making the results less obvious.

Waterborne litter before a Paddle Out Plastic cleanup

Cleanup Data

Cumulative Trash Count for the Period June 8, 2019 through June 7, 2026:

477,988

Cumulative Trash Count Only for the Top 10 Categories, June 8, 2019 through June 7, 2026:

End of Year Report

Whate We're Protecting

What We're Protecting

You may already be aware that marine mammals, like whales, dolphins and sea lions, become entangled in marine debris, such as nets and fishing line. Do you know how frequently it occurs? We see it often! And do you know that there are many types of other items that can impact various animals, such as packing straps, ribbon, rope, circular gaskets, plastic bags, lures, and hooks?

Packing strap entanglement hazard retrieved from the water

Lost fishing line, lures, hooks and sinkers

In fact, it's not just marine mammals that are affected. Birds, turtles, crabs and other shore animals and sea life also become entangled, so that they cannot travel freely and cannot feed. Here are photos of some of the wildlife we’ve come upon with entanglements (click to see a larger image).

Sea lion spotted in LA Harbor with fishing line wound tightly around its neck.

Sea lion spotted in LA Harbor and later rescued by Marine Mammal Care Center, was found to have a lacerated trachea from fishing line wound tightly around its neck. Thankfully, after surgery, it recovered and was released.

brown pelican with fishing line and hook in its feathers

Sea lion spotted in King Harbor with fishing line wound tightly around its neck.

Cormorant spotted in King Harbor with fishing line dangling from its mouth.

Brown pelican spotted in LA Harbor attempting to dislodge a fishing hook and line entangled in its feathers.

Pigeon with wings caught in fishing line dangling from beneath the fishing pier in LA Harbor.

Heron entangled in fishing line abandoned off a dock in LA Harbor.

Bird caught in fishing line dangling from beneath the fishing pier in LA Harbor.

The photos below, all taken where we paddle, show just some of the many species we’ve seen, reminding us of the wide diversity of wildlife potentially impacted by the prevalence of plastic pollution and other marine debris we work to remove. Click a photo to see a larger image.

American coot in LA Harbor

Belted kingfisher in LA Harbor

Black-headed gull in LA Harbor

Black turnstones in LA Harbor

Brant in LA Harbor

Brown pelican in LA Harbor

Clark's grebe in LA River mouth

Green heron in LA Harbor

Heerman's gull in LA Harbor

Lesser scaup in LA Harbor

Osprey in LA Harbor

Pied-billed grebe in LA Harbor

Red-necked phalarope in LA Harbor

Sea snail in LA Harbor

Sea stars in LA Harbor

Semi-palmated plover in LA Harbor

Skimmer in LA Harbor

Western gull in LA Harbor

Surf scoter in Alamitos Bay

Surfbird in LA Harbor

Whimbrel in LA Harbor

Willet in LA Harbor

Western grebe in LA Harbor

Yellow crowned night heron on San Gabriel River

Yellow-crowned night heron S Gabriel R

Black-crowned night heron in LA Harbor

Crabs in LA Harbor

Great blue heron in LA Harbor

Black oystercatcher in LA Harbor

Craveri's murrelet in LA Harbor

Killdeer in LA River mouth

Long-tailed duck in LA Harbor

Spotted sandpiper in LA Harbor

Elegant tern in LA Harbor

Buffleheads in LA Harbor

Dolphins in LA Harbor

Harbor seal in LA Harbor

Cormorant in LA Harbor

Eared grebe in LA Harbor

Least sandpiper in LA Harbor

Red-throated loon in LA Harbor

Marbled godwit in LA Harbor

Cinnamon teals in LA Harbor

Gray whale in LA Harbor

Sea lions in King Harbor

Crab with oyster in LA Harbor

Forster's tern in LA River mouth

Little blue heron in LA Harbor

Snowy egret in LA Harbor

Ray in LA Harbor

Royal tern in LA Harbor

Odd Items Paddle Out Plastic Paddlers Have Found

People often ask us, "What's the strangest or most interesting thing you've found?" Here are the nominees. Click the photo to open a larger image. Let us know which one you think is the strangest or most interesting!