2025 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.

View of the coast looking south from Second Beach at low tide.
1st Place: Luan Roberts. "This is where the ocean remembers herself. Second Beach, on the Olympic Coast, isn't just beautiful—it's alive with ancient rhythms. In this moment, the tide has peeled back the veil, revealing a world usually hidden beneath the waves. Kelp, rock, and water breathe together in silence." A view from Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.
Sunset shining its golden light at the beach during low tides
2nd Place: Tuong-Van Stanoff. "The beach looks different every time I visit it. This specific area is normally inaccessible, but when king tides arrive, the ocean recedes and exposes beautiful rocks and tide pools." A view from Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Aerial view of Molasses Reef with one scuba boat
3rd Place: Daniel Eidsmoe. Scuba diving at Molasses Reef near Key Largo, Florida in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

 

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.

A white and brown squid flares its arms on a black background.
1st Place: Gabriel Jensen. The longfin inshore squid (Doryteuthis pealeii) gather in large shoals throughout Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. "The swirling shoals of squid remind me of the abundance that sanctuaries can shelter. Photographing them reinforced the connection between what we protect and what future generations might never otherwise experience."
Eared grebe is holding the head of a pipefish in its mouth, with a reflection in the water that includes multiple reflections of the grebe's red eye.
2nd Place: Randall Smith. This eared grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) caught a pipefish (Syngnathinae) in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Humpback whale fluking with two common dolphins traveling in foreground
3rd Place: Larry Feder. Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, off Santa Cruz Island, a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) flukes with two long-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus capensis) traveling in the foreground.

 

Sanctuary Recreation

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

Woman viewing telescope with old bridge and Milky Way in the background
1st Place: Daniel Eidsmoe. Viewing the telescope near the old seven mile bridge in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
A kayaker fishing through an area with submerged aquatic vegetation.
2nd Place: Patrick Boyle. A kayaker fishing in an area with submerged aquatic vegetation in Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary.
Kayakers enter a cave while a research boat is anchored in the distance
3rd Place: Dustin Harris. Kayakers paddle into a sea cave on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. In the background, the NOAA research vessel Shearwater conducts scientific dives in the kelp forest.

 

Sanctuaries Around the World

Ocean connection can happen anywhere, not just in the National Marine Sanctuary System. This category portrays special places across the globe where you feel connected to the ocean and marine life found within it.

Humpback cow and calf enjoying an early morning swim.
1st Place: Ben Caswell. A humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) and calf swim in Vava'u, Tonga.
A proud banded jawfish male awaits its newest clutch of eggs to hatch.
2nd Place: Tamara Christian. A banded jawfish (Opistognathus macrognathus) male at the Blue Heron Bridge, Riviera Beach, Florida.
Detailed Willan's chromodoris nudibranch sits atop a colorful reef.
3rd Place: Devyn Winner. "In Anilao, Philippines, I photographed a nudibranch (Chromodoris willani) with vivid blue and black markings. Using a more shallow aperture I was able to capture the green and orange corals in the backdrop which perfectly complemented its colors."

 

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.