A half of watermelon sits on a picnic table as Debbie and Mark Gale, left, along with Bob Anderssen, right, all of San Clemente and members of the Doheny Longboard Surfing Association, help clean up Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Trash cans overflow with items left behind at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Debbie Gale of San Clemente, holds a patriotic donut she picked up from under a picnic table while helping to clean up Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Surfers make their way along the beach as trash cans sit overflowing with items left behind at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Various food items sit on a picnic table at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)



A Doheny State Beach employee finds a small kite as he cleans up trash and other items left behind at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

An American flag along with trash lays on the beach at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Various food items sit on a picnic table at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Corn-on-the-cob is still on the grill at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Bob Anderssen, a member of the Doheny Longboard Surfing Association, shows off one of his finds while helping to clean up Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)



Food items left are still on the grill at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A Doheny State Beach employee carries trash and items left behind at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Trash cans overflow with items left behind at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Mark Gale of San Clemente, a member of the Doheny Longboard Surfing Association, walks past a beach chair left behind as he helps clean up Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Food items left are still on the grill at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)



An Egyptian goose wanders through the various items left behind at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Beach toys and footwear sit on a wall that were left behind at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Tom Hammer of San Clemente, a member of the Doheny Longboard Surfing Association, helps clean up trash at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Various food items sit on a picnic table at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A toy cap lays on the beach surrounded by bird footprints at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)



Shirlene Bobroff of Santa Ana, a member of the Doheny Longboard Surfing Association, helps clean up trash at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A cup sits atop a sign near picnic tables at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Mark Gale of San Clemente, a member of the Doheny Longboard Surfing Association, helps clean up Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Beach toys and a sunhat sit on the beach at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Shirlene Bobroff of Santa Ana, a member of the Doheny Longboard Surfing Association, helps clean up trash at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)



Debbie Gale of San Clemente, picks up crab shells to take them back to the water as she helps to clean up Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

With food items and fireworks laying on the grill, Mark Gale, left, of San Clemente and Charlie Bobroff of Santa Ana, members of the Doheny Longboard Surfing Association, clean up Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A Doheny State Beach employee picks up trash and items left behind at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Various items of food and trash lay in a pile as they are swepted up at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A new child’s crib sits next to the trash cans at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)



Patriotic donuts lie under a picnic table at Doheny State Beach early Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017, following the Fourth of July celebrations at the beach in Dana Point. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A pair of Puma socks. One lone black Quiksilver sandal. A pair of white high-top Vans: Apparently a few people who hit the beach on the Fourth of July went home barefoot.

And they forgot their trash. Lots and lots of trash.

Volunteers visited the beaches Wednesday morning, July 5, to pick up the massive amount of debris left behind by the thousands of beachgoers who celebrated Independence Day on the sand. While the Fourth is one of the most popular days for party people at the beach, the day after is hard labor for those who care about the coast.

The day is so important for Debbie Gale, just one of many volunteers from the Doheny Longboard Surfing Association, she takes a day off from her job as a federal court reporter to help clean up in Dana Point.

“I’m taking a vacation day because the beach is that important to me, to get it back as close to what it was before the Fourth of July,” she said Wednesday, clutching a big black bag as she scoured Doheny State Beach. “All walks of life come out to pick up after people who don’t pick up after themselves.”

While the piles and piles of trash were disheartening, the most heartbreaking find was a pile of about two dozen hermit crabs, most dead, gathered near a wall far from the sea.

“We don’t know how many will make it — we gathered them this morning. One of our club members went out in the water and put them back,” Gale said. “It was something that was alive and they may not be now. … I can understand children being curious, but the parents should be responsible to make sure that the wildlife gets back.”

One positive observation was overflowing trash cans, with more trash piled around the bins.

“It shows effort,” Gale said.

The volunteer work is in addition to the many state workers who collected big bags all morning.

One worker took a quick break to untangle a kite, then flew it above for a minute. Another worker drove by and thanked volunteers. A state worker brought out rakes and brooms to arm volunteers for their clean-up effort.

Shirlene Bobroff, of Santa Ana, stuck her broom under a table and fished out the Puma socks.

“I don’t think anyone is going to be coming back for these socks,” she said. “I think the socks are kind of weird.”

And she got paid for her early-morning service: a shiny quarter found among the trash.

“A quarter for four hours — I don’t know,” she said jokingly, shaking her head.

Gale, of San Clemente, was joined by fellow Doheny surfer Kristina Abadie picking up tiny bits of colorful confetti that dotted the sand, grass and walkways.

“It’s disgusting,” Abadie said. “I’m grateful to live in an area where people come to vacation, but it’s like ‘clean up after yourself.’ This is our home away from home, we come here every day. So it makes me sad.”

Volunteer Tom Hammer joked that if anyone is in need of small-girl clothing, he had two small dresses — a pink one and a blue one — small sandals and a red, white and blue bow for her hair.

He also found two diapers. Soiled diapers.

In Laguna Beach, a group organized by Sunset Stand-up Paddleboards combed the sand and sea near Thalia Street up to North Beach.

Kristin Thomas, of Laguna Beach, said there was plenty of the usual stuff such as plastics and cigarette butts, lots of single shoes, straws and bottle caps.

“The good citizens of Laguna had done some cleanup before us. We saw bags of the big stuff already picked up,” she said. “Even homeless people picking up trash.”