2017 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest Results

Below are the winners and entries for the "Sanctuary Portraits" category. Thank you to all those who participated! Click each photograph to see the full version.

Sanctuary Portraits

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

surfer above the waves — 1st Place: A surfer contemplates the swell at Lighthouse Point in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Douglas Croft

silhouetted diver — 2nd Place: A diver in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is silhouetted from beneath as they pass through the sunlit water. Photo: Steve Miller

people on black rock — 3rd Place: A group of people venture out on Black Rock on Maui in the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Dan Mitchell

All Submitted Photos

diver in kelp forest — A diver moves through kelp near Anacapa Island at Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Dr. Tony Knight

diver in kelp forest — A diver emerges from the kelp at Cathedral Cove near Anacapa Island in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Dr. Tony Knight

woman on a boat holding a lionfish — Rachel Bowman holds up a lionfish during the lionfish invitational hunt in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Andy Lowe

young woman on a beach with a boogie board — A young girl walks along the oceanside beach in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary with a boogie board under her arm. Photo: Amy Hein

two divers behind pillar coral — Divers from the Florida Aquarium pause for a photo while monitoring pillar coral in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Dr. Karen Neely

family in chairs on a beach facing the water — A family enjoys the beach at Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Amy Hein

science diver examining coral — A scientific diver collects mucus samples from a staghorn coral to measure stress levels and improve coral restoration strategies within Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Dr. Karen Neely

science diver pruning coral in a coral nursery — A scientific diver “prunes” a tree containing staghorn corals in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The corals are growing up in a protective nursery for eventual outplanting onto natural reefs. Photo: Dr. Karen Neely

sea turtle approaching diver — A sea turtle approaches a diver from Keys Marine Laboratory during a safety stop in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Dr. Karen Neely

snorkeler in the water in front of a bridge — A boy snorkels near the old Bahia Honda bridge in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Rick Hein

volunteer cleaning coral fragments — A volunteer cleans fragments of staghorn coral during the 2016 Coralpalooza in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Daryl Duda

people on the beach — Colorful beachgoers enjoy a rare sunny summer day in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Eric Palmer

people working out in a circle on the beach — Fog shrouds a morning workout group at Del Monte Beach in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Eric Palmer

couple walking on the beach — A couple enjoys a walk along the beach at Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary on a stormy New Year’s Day. Photo: Douglas Croft

rowers on the ocean — Santa Cruz Rowing Club member rowers take a break after several miles, wildlife sightings, and rolling waves in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Verlin Clemons

person at tidepools in the early morning — An intrepid tidepool enthusiast in hip waders takes advantage of the early morning minus tide to visit the outer edge of the shelf at Pleasure Point in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Stephanie Stock

boy fishing on the beach — A young boy fishes with a bamboo rod in the Multiple Use Zone of National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. Photo: Apulu Veronika Molio'o Mata'utia Mortenson

boy fishing on the beach — A young boy fishes with a bamboo rod in the Multiple Use Zone of National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. Photo: Apulu Veronika Molio'o Mata'utia Mortenson

young boy — Four-year-old Teleiotes Solaita celebrates "Get into Your Sanctuary Day" at National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. Photo: Louis Solaita

hiker on the beach — A hiker makes their way south of Norwegian Memorial at Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Verlin Clemons

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.