2023 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest Results

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

Sanctuary Views

See the beauty of the National Marine Sanctuary System through visitors' eyes.

Over under shot of the land and sea of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
1st Place: Bruce Sudweeks. A simultaneous view of the land and sea at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Surfgrass (Phyllospadix sp.) and giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) can be seen under the surface of the ocean.
Sun setting over bowling ball looking rocks along the coastline.
2nd Place: Martin McClure. Unique in the Northern Hemisphere, Bowling Ball Beach is a spectacular place to watch the sunset over Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.
Sunset over a coastline of grasses and driftwood with seastacks in the distance.
3rd Place: Courtney Stanford. Sunset on La Push, in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.
Back to category winners

Honorable Mentions

Sunset over a rocky coastline in Monterey.
Views over Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Fernando Ibanez
Setting sun peeking in the middle of two sea stacks.
Tide crossing after Third Beach in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Justine Yglesias
This area is made up of interconnecting lava tubes and when the tide comes in the top becomes awash.
Enchanted forest of driftwood trees by the sea. Created at Ukumahame, Maui. Photo: Douglas hoffman
Old tree at night on shoreline with Milky Way in the background.
Old tree and Milky Way, Islamorada, in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Daniel Eidsmoe
Aerial view of calm sea and reflections in the Florida Keys.
Big Pine Key aerial view, in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Daniel Eidsmoe
Sunlit waves crashing against the rugged rocks.
"Nature's Haven" in Proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Angela J. Farmer
A sand tiger shark patrols a shipwreck near Monitor National Marine Sanctuary.
A sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus) patrols a shipwreck near the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Bruce Sudweeks
Land on top, sea below, and a colony of salp.
Land on top, sea below, and a colony of salp (Thetys vagina) in between at Point Lobos State Park in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Bruce Sudweeks
A landscape of a historic building at Año Nuevo Island with many Brandt's cormorants and California sealions in the foreground. There are also brown pelicans and Northern elephant seals in the backround.
A view of the historic lightkeeper's house at Año Nuevo Island in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary with Brandt's cormorants (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) and California sealions (Zalophus californianus) in the foreground. There are also brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) and Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) in the backround Photo: Danielle Devincenzi
Sand ripples and blue-green waters view.
Calm waters over tidal sandbar in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Steve Alberts
Star at sunset at Pfeiffer Beach, California.
For a few weeks each year during the Winter Solstice, the sunset casts an ethereal glow through Keyhole Arch on Big Sur’s Pfeiffer Beach. This natural phenomenon doesn’t have fixed dates, but it usually happens between December and January. Photo: Jean Zuo
Field of stars including the vertically oriented Milky Way behind the sea stacks that comprise Point of Arches, with bioluminescence in the foreground waves.
The Milky Way sets behind Point of Arches while bioluminescence is visible in the foreground and a meteor darts overhead. This image is a composite of four photographs taken, approximately 15 seconds apart. Photo: Nathan Kelly
Exposed shipwrecks lying adjacent to a forested coastline.
East Carolina University archaeologists sample the shipwreck Aowa in Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Nathan Richards
Sunset on folded rocks and craggy shoreline.
Sunset, Point Arena, in Great Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Irene Reti
My twin daughters put on wetsuits and play in the cold ocean water in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Jump in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Jean Zuo
Field of stars including the vertically oriented Milky Way behind the sea stacks that comprise Point of Arches, with bioluminescence in the foreground waves.
The Milky Way sets behind Point of Arches while bioluminescence is visible in the foreground and a meteor darts overhead. This image is a composite of four photographs taken, approximately 15 seconds apart. Photo: Nathan Kelly
Mangrove tree with extending roots above ground roots at night.
A red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) at night in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Light pollution from the Miami metropolitan area can be also be seen. Photo: Michael Schilling
Waves rolling in while the sunsets.
Waves of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Tyler Smith
A close-up image of a wave barrel.
Morning waves at Pounders Beach in Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Mark Tagal
Migrant boat on shore with Milky Way in the sky.
Homemade Cuban migrant boat named "The Dream" comes ashore on Big Pine Key with view of Milky Way, in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Daniel Eidsmoe
A diver ties a small scientific monitor to the bottom.
Scientist Alisha installs a temperature logger at Tau Island, in National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. Photo: Raymond Boland
A baby boy views the marvelous sunset from the beach.
Enjoying the view in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Jessica Hogan
Sunrise at the end of tall islands silhouetting the islands.
Sunrise at Pola Island and Vai'ava Strait National Natural Landmark, in National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. Photo: Raymond Boland
Sea arches and sea stacks in the sea fog.
Sea arches and sea stacks at Shi Shi Beach in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Yu Chen Hou
Moonlight and the twilight sky reflect on a beach etched with water rivulets after sunset.
The moon and the last remnants of sunset light reflect off of wet sand as the tide recedes at sunset leaving intricate patterns on Shi Shi Beach in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Nathan Kelly
There was no sunset to capture in this overcast evening. A slow camera shutter makes the ocean water silky around the nature bridge.
Natural Bridge after sunset near Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Jean Zuo
Island cliffs lead into the distance over a wavy ocean with bright sunset colors glowing.
Cavern Point on Santa Cruz Island overlooks Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and rewards hikers with colorful clear sunset views. Photo: Dustin Harris
Kayak on shore with Milky Way.
Kayak and the Milky Way, in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Daniel Eidsmoe
Silhouette of a woman staring up at a starry night sky with city lights in the background and blue glowing bioluminesence in the water below.
"Stargazing at the Milky Way while Monterey Bay is glowing blue as it bioluminescences with the lights of the city of Monterey behind. This is my home, this is my sanctuary." Photo: Kayvon Malek
Aerial view of a remote coral reef.
Rarely seen views of Kamokuokamohoaliʻi. A boat team from the non-profit Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project Hawaii deploys divers to remove a large net that is resting in about 20 feet of water. The team utilizes unmanned aerial systems to assist divers with locating abandoned fishing nets, also known as ghost nets. Photo: Andrew Sullivan-Haskins
Colorful sunset over calm waters with pier and boat.
Near Crane Point in Marathon, Florida. Photo: Kylie Varnado
Sea palms engulfed by waves on a tiny offshore rock.
Sea Palm Village, in Great Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Irene Reti
Orange moon shines a reflection over rocky islets with boats anchored in the moon's glow.
Super blue moon rises over Anacapa Island in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Dustin Harris
Long-beaked common dolphins stampede past Santa Cruz Island.
"As we sailed through Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary on our way back to Ventura after camping on San Miguel Island, we encountered a pod of stampeding long-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus capensis). The setting sun illuminated their splashes and the fog over Santa Cruz Island." Photo: Robin Street-Morris
Young mangrove trees in mudflats.
Red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) have a reproductive structure called a sea pencil that is about a foot long. It drifts in the water until it hits bottom, then anchors starts growing. The red mangrove is always closest to the edge of the sea. It can tolerate salt water and produces prop roots to anchor in sediment. This image was taken in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Steve Alberts
Silhouette of mangroves along the shoreline on Sugarloaf Key at sunrise.
Sugarloaf Key in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Stacy Aguilar
Many sealions and elephant seals lying on a beach in the foreground with sea lions jumping out of ocean waves in the background.
California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) surfing waves at Año Nuevo Island in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Danielle Devincenzi
Close up of a small tide pool in the sand with a rock covered in algae and swirls of foam in the water.
Rocks, algae, and swirls - a gift from the low tide at Sand Point, in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Hélène Scalliet
A narrow staircase on the right side leading down a brown rocky cliff towards the middle of the photo. At it's base a small white lighthouse and bunkhouse with red roofs. The surrounding area is a small visible portion of water mostly covered by white fog.
Point Reyes Lighthouse on a cold foggy morning. Photo: Jake Rennert
Glowing lighthouse near Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary.
Glowing lighthouse on Lake Michigan, as the sunsets and illuminates the clouds pink and purple. Photo: John Breivogel
Low tide where shipwrecks can be seen above the river.
Low tide at Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Shellie Perrie-Atlantic Kayak Company
Black and white of two sailboats reflected in river.
Proposed Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary at Cape Vincent with two sailboats reflected in the St. Lawrence River. Photo: Brenda L. Williams
Sunlit waves crashing against the rugged rocks.
"Nature's Symphony" in Proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Angela J. Farmer
Backlight shorebreak at pounders beach on Oahu.
"Sunrise on Oahu's northeast shore in Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Mark Tagal
Half of a rainbow over the water.
Partial rainbow in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Steve Alberts
Dolphin swims towards a setting sun.
Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) swimming towards the setting sun in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Michael Schilling
View of bright sea foam green water in cove from bluff.
Wilder Ranch view of beach from cliff. Photo: Michelle Horeczko
Painted cave in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
Painted Cave, known to the Chumash as hax̓inu mupʰ nuwaštipa, is the longest sea cave in California and just one of the many spectacular natural features one can see while visiting Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Robin Street-Morris
A diver is seen hovering over a large coral formation.
Scientist Matt floats over a massive coral off of Tau Island, in National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. Photo: Raymond Boland
The bottom of the image is lined by shrubbery and the image shows a view across the Atlantic Ocean. Across the water you can see the outline of Boston.
A view of Boston across the Atlantic Ocean, in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Annabelle Johnson
The sun is just beginning to warm the blue skies and horizon, reflecting clearly off the still water.
Cool spring sunrise near the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: John Breivogel
A colorful sunset behind the rocky coastline as waves crash over the rocks.
Silky sunset in Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Created at the western most point of Big Island in Hawaii. Photo: Douglas hoffman

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.