2025 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest - 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. All photographers followed marine life viewing guidelines while taking photos.

Below are the winners and entries for the SanctuaryLife category. Thank you to all those who participated! 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 recreation in the National Marine Sanctuary System. These photos are not for sale and are not for commercial use unless prior permission is arranged.

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.
Back to category winners

Honorable Mentions

A brown seal holds a white flatfish above the water while it takes a bite.
Douglas Croft. A harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) holds onto and eats a starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus) it caught in Moss Landing Harbor in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Two young monk seals on a beach with heads raised and noses together.
Christine Lonie. Recently weaned Hawaiian monk seals (Neomonachus schauinslandi) awakened along the Oahu shores of Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.
Small black birds riding a wave
James Meneses (Diego). A group of surf scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) ride the waves in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. "In that quiet moment, I was reminded how much life unfolds just beyond the shoreline—fluid, fleeting, and effortlessly wild. It felt like the ocean was offering a glimpse of something usually hidden, and I was lucky enough to catch it."
A sea otter on the surface of the water with seagrass around its face.
Deanne Tucker. A sea otter (Enhydra lutris) with eelgrass wrapped around its face in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. "Elkhorn Slough is one of the only places to see sea otters in an eelgrass estuary. For me, this photo really captures the locale and the appeal of sea otters."
A white bird with a long thin beak walking on the beach.
Tuong-Van Stanoff. An American avocet (Recurvirostra americana) looking charming while foraging in San Francisco Bay in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.
A yellow and blue fish and spotted eel taking shelter amongst coral.
Rob Renfrow. A queen angelfish (Holacantus ciliaris) and spotted moray (Gymnothorax moringa) in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. "This photo represents what we could have everywhere if we protect what we love."
A killer whale emerging vertically from the water in front of a large white boat.
Jane Mayer. An orca (orcinus orca) in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary breaches in front of a whale watching vessel.

 

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