CLEARWATER, Fla. — Long before the sun is up and the day's first footprint is etched into the sand, Kalie Elkins cruises up and down Clearwater Beach.

What You Need To Know

  • It's a busy time of year at Clearwater Beach, with thousands of visitors flocking to the white sand

  • Cleanup crews start working before sunrise and end long after sunset in order to keep the beach pristine

  • Crews ride up and down the three-mile beach picking up trash, raking the sand and emptying garbage cans

“Currently we’re out here looking for any big debris,” Elkins said. “Anything like tents, umbrellas, kites.”

It’s a busy time of year at Clearwater Beach, as thousands of tourists take advantage of its white sand and crystal-clear water. With all those extra people, Elkins’ job as a beach supervisor gets a little busier this time of year. 

“The amount of garbage that people leave on the beach, and when I tell you it’s busy, there’s a lot,” he said. “But that’s our main thing, is really just taking care of all the garbage. There’s so much of it.”

The beach operations team is already on seven days a week, 365 days a year (except in the event of a hurricane). They increase staffing during spring break to make sure they have enough people to handle the extra crowds. Elkins and his team work in 10-hour shifts, spanning from 5:30 in the morning until around 9:30 at night. Crews ride up and down the three-mile beach to empty garbage cans, rake the sand and pick up trash left behind. 

If you name it, Elkins has probably picked it up. 

“Water bottles, napkins, flip-flops,” he listed from his memory. “A lot of people come out here and they just leave a bunch of stuff. Sometimes, people come just for one day and they’ll buy a whole bunch of sandcastle stuff for their kids and they just leave it.”

The bulk of the trash is found around Pier 60 and south. While Elkins says it’s great to have the extra visitors this time of year, they can also do their part to make his job a bit easier. 

“Just be mindful,” he said. “We’re all out here trying to make this beach better for everybody.”

Elkins said it’s rewarding to get the beach back to its clean state and ready to welcome in the day’s visitors. 

In addition to Spring Break, the beach operations team is gearing up for more crowds with the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival. The 10th anniversary festival kicks off Friday, March 29 and runs through Sunday, April 14.