NOAA’s 2026 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest is now open and invites divers, underwater photographers, coastal visitors, and ocean enthusiasts to share images from America’s 18 ocean and Great Lakes national marine sanctuaries.
Hosted by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, the annual contest encourages photographers to capture the beauty, biodiversity, recreation, and heritage found across America’s underwater parks.
The competition is open to photographers over the age of 13, and photographs must be taken in one of NOAA’s 18 US national marine sanctuaries – from American Samoa to the Florida Keys; the Great Lakes to the Olympic Coast of the Pacific Northwest. (Click here for the complete map).
For inspiration from previous competitions, NOAA has published the winning photographs from each year since 2020 on its website, together with stories and tips from previous winners and expert photographers.
This year’s contest introduces four new categories:
Life in Motion
Capture the movement and behaviours of wildlife in national marine sanctuary waters. From hunting and feeding to caring for offspring, and symbiotic interactions, share how you’ve captured these fleeting moments in the wild, from the largest whales to the smallest shrimp.
Sanctuaries and You
Show how people connect with their national marine sanctuaries through recreation, research, and everyday experiences above, below, and near the water—from fishing and diving to beach walks, stewardship projects, tidepooling, and time spent enjoying these spectacular places.
The Water’s Edge
At the place where two worlds meet, capture the connection between land and water—from tidepools, beaches, and shoreline habitats at the edge of national marine sanctuaries to above-and-below the surface perspectives that reveal both worlds at once.
Ripples From the Past
Help tell the stories of maritime heritage within your national marine sanctuaries through photos of sunken shipwrecks and aircraft, iconic lighthouses, and historic and cultural landmarks that reveal our human connection to these places through time.
The contest is open from May 22 until Labor Day (7 September), giving photographers a summer-long opportunity to capture the beauty, wonder, and diversity of America’s national marine sanctuaries.
Winning photos will be featured in NOAA’s Earth Is Blue social media campaign.
Before submitting your photos, be sure to review the contest rules and eligibility criteria, entry instructions, and responsible photography guidelines.
For more information and to enter this year’s competition, head to sanctuaries.noaa.gov/photo-contest.html
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