2022 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.

Sanctuaries at Home

While it’s important to get outside, experience nature, and recreate responsibly, we know that many of us spent more time at home this year. Through art, stewardship activities from home, and responsible water-based recreation photographers shared how they connected with national marine sanctuaries from afar.

A watercolor painting of a leatherback sea turtle next in a journal next to some paint palettes.
1st Place: Alison Hibbert. A watercolor painting of a leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) and some research documented in a journal.
Person watching a NOAA webinar on a desktop computer.
2nd Place: Mirjam P. Spaar. Watching a NOAA webinar entitled "We Rescued the Monitor" after visiting Monitor National Marine Sanctuary.
Comparison of watercolor painting and actual photo of a kelp forest.
3rd Place: Bruce Sudweeks. Watercolor painting of kelp forest in Anacapa Island, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
A man and a small boy hold hands while walking on the beach.
Honorable Mention: Darpan Manharbhai. Enjoying Dandi Beach, Navsari, in India.
Alligator is visible in the water near red mangroves.
Honorable Mention: Michael Sipos. This photo was snapped while hiking in the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge located in the western portion of the Florida Everglades. Pictured is an American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) resting in the marsh near a clump of red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle), two iconic Florida species.
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All Submitted Photos

Tree roots sticking out of the sand on a beach.
Sunset in São Tomé and Príncipe.
Orange sunset with clouds covering the sky, reflection on the sand near the ocean.
Reflection across the sand in Figure Eight Island, NC.
Sun peering through the clouds during an orange sunset.
Sunlit clouds in Figure Eight Island, NC.
Two birds perched on a tree with no leaves.
Carolina wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) on an island tree in Figure Eight, NC.
Two cranes in a salt marsh tree.
Cranes Perched in a Salt Marsh Tree in Figure Eight, NC
Gull standing on the shore as the sun rises in the horizon.
A gull (Larinae) watches the sun rise in Fenwick Island, DE.
Dolphin dorsal visible in a marsh.
A dolphin (Delphinus) goes for an afternoon marsh swim in Figure Eight, NC.
Silhouette of people in the distance, on the beach as the sun is rising.
Vacationers stroll at dawn in Figure Eight, NC.
A watercolor painting of a leatherback sea turtle next in a journal next to some paint palettes.
A watercolor painting of a leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) and some research documented in a journal.
Puffin with fish in its mouth.
Puffin (Fratercula arctica) feeding young in Borgarfjörður Eystri, Iceland.
A group of large, white seabirds on rocks next to the water.
Northern gannet (Morus bassanus) at Cape St. Mary's Reserve Bird Rock, Newfoundland.
Three gulls flying over beautiiful blue water, a shark fin can be seen coming out of the water.
Gulls (Larinae) stealing chum from blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) in Bora Bora, Tahiti.
Small bird with white and grey with a black head.
Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea) in Grimsey, Iceland.
Bird flying over a rocky canyon.
Northern gannet (Morus bassanus) in flight at St. Mary's Ecological Reserve Bird Rock, Newfoundland.
Group of birds flying near the rocky coast on an overcast day.
Northern gannets (Morus bassanus) looking for a place to land in St. Mary's Ecological Reserve Bird Rock, Newfoundland.
Two colorful birds eating an insect on a tree branch.
Blue tailed bee-eater (Merops philippinus) at Khisma Forest, West Bengal.
Yellow and brown bird peering out of nest in a tree.
Baya weaver (Ploceus philippinus) at Khisma Forest, West Bengal.
Two mongooses playing in the grass.
Mongoose (Herpestidae) pair playing at Hijuli Forest, West Bengal.
Green, red, and blue bird in a tree.
Blue throated barbet (Megalaima asiatica) at Jaguli Forest, West Bengal.
Small, dark purple bird on a branch eating a red flower.
Purple sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus) at Hatsimul, West Bengal, India.
Small, light brown owl peering out of a tree trunk.
Spotted owlet (Athene brama) at Rabindra Sarovar, West Bengal, India.
Red, brown, blue, and white bird perched on the very top of the tip of a branch.
White-throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) at Barsul, West Bengal, India.
Small brown bird perched to a blade of grass.
Scaly-breasted munia (Lonchura punctulata) at Baruipur, West Bengal, India.
Tall, white bird in a dark marsh.
Cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) at Diara, West Bengal, India.
Light brown bird perched on a branch looking up into the tree.
Chestnut-tailed starling (Sturnia malabarica) at Diara, West Bengal, India.
Comparison of watercolor painting and actual photo of a kelp forest.
Watercolor painting of kelp forest in Anacapa Island, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
A man and a woman smiling for a photo in front of a bay.
Enjoying Bay de Verde in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
The head of a seal on a rock.
Seal in Iceland.
Two seals on rocks just above sea level.
Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) in La Jolla, San Diego.
Giant waterfall with grass surrounding it, people are seen in the distance venturing under the waterfall.
Waterfall in Iceland.
Child in the shallow, clear waters with green trees on a mountain in the background.
A kid from Sa'ilele, American Samoa enjoying the beach.
Rock formation surrounding clear water, making it look like a small pool near the shore.
Salt water pool in Sa'ilele Village located in American Samoa.
Coral just under sea level.
Coral reef in Aoa, American Samoa Bay.
Lava rocks on the coast.
Lava rocks in Sa'ilele, American Samoa.
School of fish seen through glass at an aquarium.
'The Blue Planet Advocacy' - School of fish at The Boston Aquarium, in Boston, Massachusetts.
Leatherback turtle hatchlings headed to the ocean.
"I was lucky enough to spend three weeks aiding with hatching season of leatherback turtles in a small village known as Parismina in Costa Rica. This photo was taken by me only minutes after they hatched and were being released back into the ocean."
Black and white image of a cougar.
Cougar (Puma concolor) at an animal refuge in Santa Anta, Costa Rica.
Cougar rolled onto its back.
Cougar (Puma concolor) at an animal refuge in Santa Anta, Costa Rica.
Bridge through a forest.
Tortuguero National Park in Limón Province, Costa Rica.
Spider mother and baby hanging from large web.
"Brown recluse spider (Loxosceles reclusa) mama and her baby greeting us as we got off the boat into the protected national park."
Aerial view of an estuary.
Estuary in Seabrook, NH.
Aerial view of boat near the shore.
Taken over Juniper Cove, in Salem, MA.
Manatee made out of rocks with chalk drawing surrounding it to symbolize Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Manatee (Trichechus manatus) swimming in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary made from sidewalk chalk and rocks.
Bird perched on statue.
Band-tailed pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata) perched on a statue.
Hare in grass.
A hare (Lepus) spotted in the wild.
Wild turkey in grass.
Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) in Marinwood, CA.
Buck on the ground staring at the camera with fencing behind it.
Backyard buck (Odocoileus hemionus) in Marinwood, CA.
A group of divers swim to the surface of the ocean.
Field researchers remove marine debris from the waters of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
Person watching a NOAA webinar on a desktop computer.
Watching a NOAA webinar entitled "We Rescued the Monitor" after visiting Monitor National Marine Sanctuary.
A man and a small boy hold hands while walking on the beach.
Enjoying Dandi Beach, Navsari, in India.
Black and while image of a shark swimming.
Black and while image of a silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) in Jardines de la Reina, Cuba.
Close up image of a giant clam.
Detail of a giant clam (Tridacna gigas) in Laamu Atoll, Maldives.
Alligator is visible in the water near red mangroves.
This photo was snapped while hiking in the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge located in the western portion of the Florida Everglades. Pictured is an American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) resting in the marsh near a clump of red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle), two iconic Florida species.
Horseshoe crab near the rocky shore.
Horseshoe crab (Limulidae) at Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
Tree with no leaves in the middle of grassy marshes.
In Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
Jellyfish in a dark blue tank.
Atlantic sea nettle jelly (Chrysaora quinquecirrha) at Moody Gardens.
Jellyfish with tenticles in different directions in a dark blue tank.
Atlantic sea nettle jelly (Chrysaora quinquecirrha) at Moody Gardens.
Colorful bird perched on a rock.
Motmot (Momotidae) at Moody Gardens.
Close up image of a lobster.
Slipper lobster (Scyllaridae) at Moody Gardens.
Harbor seal sleeping on a rock.
Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) at Moody Gardens.
Colorful bird perched on a red structure.
Motmot (Momotidae) at Moody Gardens.
Black monkey in greenery.
White-faced saki (Pithecia pithecia) at Moody Gardens.
Shark swims over a part of a shipwreck in an aquarium with other fish swimming nearby.
A sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus) swims over a model of the USS Monitor at the North Carolina Aquarium in Roanoke Island.
Black and white image of a skinny black and white striped snake.
Sea krait (Laticauda) in Apo Island, Philippines.
Close up image of a crocodilefish eye.
Crocodilefish (Cymbacephalus beauforti) eye in Bunaken Island, Indonesia.
Black and white image of a fish inside an anemone.
Anemonefish (Amphiprioninae) within magnificent sea anemone (Heteractis magnifica) in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia.
Small eel-like freshwater fish in tank.
Striped kuhli loach (Pangio kuhlii), in Nanaimo.
Duck on a rock next to the water.
Mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos), in Bowen Park, Nanaimo.
Mother seal giving birth on an iceberg.
A mother harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) giving birth on a small iceberg near Jaw Point in Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park.
Blue sea star and sea cucumber in the sand underwater.
Blue sea star (Linckia laevigata) and sea cucumber (Holothuroidea) in the Cook Islands.
Two urchins underwater.
Burrowing urchin (Echinometra mathaei) in the Cook Islands.
Butterflyfish swimming underwater.
Butterflyfish (Chaetodontidae) in the Cook Islands.
Congregation of blacksmith damselfish darting about a kelp forest.
Beautiful congregation of blacksmith (Chromis punctipinnis) in the kelp forest in Laguna Beach, CA.
Shadowy outline of a brown pelican diving straight down a merigold-painted sky.
Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) on Barefoot Beach, Florida.
Black-necked stilt standing in quiet waters with a white mangrove arching behind it.
Black-necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) in Rookery Bay.
Young osprey observing the world outside its nest.
Young osprey (Pandion haliaetus) in Rookery Bay, FL.
Black and white photo of a sea lion leaving a string of bubbles behind an exhale.
Sea lion (Otariinae) in Espiritu Santo National Park in the Sea of Cortez.
Black and white photo of thousands of silversides maneuvering underneath a rocky structure.
Silversides (Atheriniformes) in Roatán Marine Park.
A herd of bucks and elk resting on a grassy hillside.
Tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) on Tomales Point Trail.
A pair of elephant seals enjoying each other's company, mouths open into an excited smile.
Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) frolic off shore at the fishdocks at Chimney Rock.
Close-up view of a green sea turtle's sandy face.
Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) in Poipu, Kauai.
A harbor seal banana-posing on a rock with white waves lapping around it.
A harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) in La Jolla, CA.
California sea lion resting atop a rock being battered with ocean spray.
A California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) in La Jolla, CA.
A herd of sea lions huddled on a sandy beach.
A California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) in La Jolla, CA.

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 Views in the National Marine Sanctuary System. These photos are not for sale and are not for commercial use unless prior permission is arranged.