13 dramatic photos that capture the beauty of marine sanctuaries

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A majestic humpback whale, dramatic coastlines, and a coral reef ecosystem shine in the NOAA and and National Marine Sanctuary Foundation’s ‘Get Into Your Sanctuary’ photo contest. The winning photos celebrate the National Marine Sanctuary System, which encompasses more than 629,000 square miles and includes 17 national marine sanctuaries and Papahānaumokuākea and Rose Atoll marine national monuments.

a diving swimmer swims against a large school of fish — **Freediving into a school of akule in Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.**
Sanctuary Recreation, Second Place
*Credit: Christian Crook*

Winners were named across five categories: Sanctuary Views, Sanctuary Life, Sanctuary Recreation, Sanctuaries at Home, and Sanctuaries Around the World.

rocks sticking up on a coastline. logs litter the shoreline — **Sunset at Rialto Beach in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.**
Sanctuary Views, Second Place
*Credit: Elliot Gilfix*

large cliffs — Potato Harbor on Santa Cruz Island is one of few wind-protected places to hunker down for the night in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Even still, wind and swell sneak their way into the small anchorage under the setting sun.
Sanctuary Views, Third Place
*Credit: Dustin Harris*

a camper with a flashlight shining up. the milky way is seen in the sky — **Camping under the stars in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary**
Sanctuary Recreation, First Place
*Credit: Daniel Eidsmoe*

an isolated beach with cliffs and trees — **McWay Falls in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.**
Sanctuary Views, First Place
*Credit: Peter Reinold*

a puffin stands near a flower — Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) are ocean-dependent birds that spend most of their lives on open water. The productive North Atlantic Canadian waters surrounding Newfoundland provide some of the best habitat for these beloved marine birds.
Sanctuaries Around the World, Second Place
*Credit: Carolyn Copper*

a seahorse closeup — Male lined seahorses (Hippocampus erectus) like this one at the Blue Heron Bridge in West Palm Beach, Florida, receive eggs from the female and keep them in a pouch where they fertilize and carry them until they are ready to hatch.
Sanctuaries Around the World, Third Place
*Credit: Tamara Christian*

a whale tail right before diving at sunset — **A humpback whale (Megaptera novaengliae) dives at sunset in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This photo was taken with a telephoto lens from a safe distance.**
Sanctuary Life, Third Place
*Credit: Kaelyn DeYoung*

a crab looks at the camera — **An arrow crab (Stenorhynchus seticornis) sits in front of a Caribbean long spine sea urchin (Diadema antillarum) in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.**
Sanctuary Life, First Place
*Credit: Gabriel Jensen*

large octopus underwater stretched across rocks — **Giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) walks the deep coldwater reef in Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary.**
Sanctuary Life, Second Place
*Credit: Robert Lee*

a woman walks with a kite. photograph is taken from above — **Kite flying on a beach near Palm Coast, Florida.**
Sanctuaries at Home, Second Place
*Credit: Daniel Eidsmoe*

a sea turtle with moss on its back swims — **A green sea turtle (Chelonia) surfaces for air in the shallows of Playa Punta Corola on San Cristobal in Galapagos, Ecuador.**
Sanctuaries Around the World, Finalist
*Credit: Dan Shipp*

beach cottages above the water line. coral seen below the water line — **Split shoreline and underwater view of the coral reef ecosystem around Fakarava Atoll in French Polynesia.**
Sanctuaries at Home, First Place
*Credit: Justin Wallace*

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