2016 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest Results

Thank you to all the photographers who shared their view of national marine sanctuaries with us! Click each photograph to see the full version.

Please note that we may use any of the photos we received for this contest on our website, on social media, and in other NOAA and National Marine Sanctuary Foundation publications. We will provide credit to photographers whenever we use any of the photos. Organizations other than NOAA and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation may use photographs submitted in this contest to promote sustainable and responsible activities in the National Marine Sanctuary System, as long as the photographer is credited. These photos are not for sale and are not for commercial use unless prior permission is arranged.

Sanctuary Views

See the beautiful scenery of the National Marine Sanctuary System through visitors' eyes..

photo of sunset in american samoa
1st Place: A foaga site on Tutuila Island, National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. The basins in this volcanic rock have been worn over the years by people making stone tools. Credit: Jason Jaskowiak
photo of rocks stacked on a beach
2nd Place: Stacked river rock on Ruby Beach, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: Selah Preskey Martin.
photo of school of fish
3rd Place: Molasses Reef in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, complete with French, bluestriped, caesar, and Spanish grunts, as well as yellow goatfish and gray, lane, and mahogany snappers. Credit: Daryl Duda

Sanctuary Life

From tiny krill to enormous gray whales, thousands of species call the National Marine Sanctuary System home! This category depicts the amazing marine life that you can find in your national marine sanctuaries.

photo of bird with green eyes
1st Place: This young Brandt's cormorant was photographed preening on the rocks on the Coast Guard Pier/Breakwater in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: Christina Parsons
photo of an anemone that is very colorful
2nd Place: This large sunburst anemone (Anthopleura sola) was spotted during a safety stop at 15 feet near Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: Evan Barba
photo of a white bird in flight with wings forward over body
3rd Place: Backdropped by a cloudless sky, a Manu-o-Kū flies over Kure Atoll in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Credit: Andrew Sullivan-Haskins

 

Sanctuary Portraits

National marine sanctuaries provide an idyllic setting for a variety of recreational activities -- this category celebrates the people who visit them.

photo of bleached coral
1st Place: A photographer captures the sunset at Second Beach in La Push, at Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: Selah Preskey Martin
photo of a flock of sanderlings on the beach
2nd Place: The photographer's wife dives on Hoyt S. Vandenberg, a sunken ship and artificial reef in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: Steve Miller
photo of a nudibranch and an urchin
3rd Place: Beginning his descent from a dive boat in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, this diver was greeted by schools of fish surrounding the rocky reefs of San Miguel Island. Credit: Cindy Shaw