Get Into Your Sanctuary Contest Winners • Scuba Diver Life — scubadiverlife.com

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has announced the Get Into Your Sanctuary contest winners. Sanctuary Views First Place: Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary by Jon Anderson. Sunbeams penetrate the canopy of a kelp forest in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary as blue rockfish (Sebastes mystinus) congregate beneath. “Visibility varies a lot in Monterey, both above and below the water, but days like this where the sun is out and water is clear are about as breathtaking as anywhere on Earth that I have experienced,” says the photographer. This year’s contestants used creative techniques and thoughtful compositions that capture everything from historic shipwrecks to sunsets over misty waters, and delightful portraits of wildlife above and below the surface. Thanks to the work of these incredible photographers, viewers can enjoy the wonders of America’s national marine sanctuaries without leaving home. Sanctuary Life First Place: Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary by Jon Anderson. A yellowfin fringehead (Neoclinus stephensae) peeks out from behind a red-rust bryozoan (Watersipora subtorquata) in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. “The density, diversity, and vibrancy of life throughout the reefs in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is what keeps me diving in these cold and challenging waters,” says the photographer. Photographers of all skilled levels submitted photos in four categories: “Sanctuary Life,” “Sanctuary Views,” “Sanctuary Recreation,” and a new category to accommodate life amid a pandemic, “Sanctuaries at Home.”  This year’s winning photos document the extraordinary beauty of our ocean and Great Lakes and the creative ways people are finding to enjoy and appreciate nature. The winning photographs will be featured in NOAA’s Earth is Blue magazine, Get Into Your Sanctuary recreation magazine, and the Earth is Blue social media campaign. The photo contest will run again next year from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Guest Author / About Author This post is by a guest blogger. Please email [email protected] for more information.

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