#WildSanctuaries

[noaasanctuaries]

🥁 Drum roll, please! 🥁

We would like to introduce you to the winners of the 2023 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest.

Sanctuary Life

1st: Douglas Hoffman in Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary

2nd: Jean Zuo in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

3rd: Douglas Croft in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary

Sanctuary Recreation

1st: Chuck Graham in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary

2nd: Daniel Eidsmoe in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

3rd: Bryan Dort in Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Sanctuary Views

1st: Bruce Sudweeks in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

2nd: Martin McClure in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary

3rd: Courtney Stanford in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

Sanctuaries at Home

1st: Laurie Santoro

2nd: Tina Morrison

3rd: Jenn Fletcher

Sanctuaries Around the World

1st: María Rodríguez-Salinas

2nd: Lawrence Alex Wu

3rd: Kayvon Malek

Congratulations to all the outstanding photographers who entered our 2023 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest. Don’t forget to check out the winners and honorable mentions on our results page:

Stay tuned over the next few weeks as we feature each winner in our #EarthIsBlue campaign!

[gkmach1ne]

Yesterday's "Wild Sanctuary" show is now up on SoundCloud. Link in bio #clydebuiltradio #gkmachine #wildsanctuary https://www.instagram.com/p/CHYLGLGlbL5/?igshid=mttwd5l6ilnh

[adriandamian]

Me looking to the turtle, he ( the crocodile ) looking to see me 🤭. #turtle #crocidile #me #traveler #travelerslife #wildpark #wildanimals #wildlife #discovering #currumbin #currumbinwildlifesanctuary #wildsanctuary (at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary)

[artbookdap]

Slow down and listen to something really special from @departures・・・Sound on! 🔉 This musician is teaching the world how to listen — and be quiet. After decades working as a guitarist, recording producer, electronica artist, and film-score composer, Bernie Krause developed a passion for ecology and ambient sound. Now, he's on a mission to help humans get back in tune with nature’s symphony. After all, he says, “If a picture is worth a thousand words, a soundscape is worth a thousand pictures.” Book published by @fondationcartier @wildsanctuary https://www.instagram.com/p/CehBz1IpBy9/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[noaasanctuaries]

Come sail away with this Velella velella in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary!

Vellela vellela, or the by-the-wind sailor, is a small, unique species that has a vertical sail atop its float, helping it to travel. This sail is oriented at a diagonal to the animal’s body axis, allowing it to take advantage of prevailing wind currents that push the animal across the sea.

Scientists have found that populations along the California coast tend to have sails oriented to the right, while populations farther west in the Pacific tend to have sails oriented to the left, reflecting differing wind patterns in their respective regions!

📸: Douglas Croft

[noaasanctuaries]

Wake up, it’s Endangered Species Day!

The protected waters of the National Marine Sanctuary System provide safe haven for many endangered species, such as Hawaiian monk seals. By helping create safer habitats, the National Marine Sanctuary System gives endangered species the opportunities they need to regain a foothold.

Learn more about endangered species and this upcoming, monumental anniversary:

🎥: Matt McIntosh/NOAA

[noaasanctuaries]

The sun shines a little brighter when you're trying to wake up after vacation over the holidays 😴

Welcome to 2023! We hope you had a wonderful holiday season.

Need to brush up on our wildlife viewing guidelines after the break? Visit https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/wildlife-viewing/.

[noaasanctuaries]

Happy Mother’s Day from your National Marine Sanctuary System! This harbor seal mom is checking in on her pup in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

If you see a harbor seal pup alone on a beach, it’s not abandoned – its mother is just out feeding so she can continue to sustain her pup. Stay back 100 yards if possible, and keep any dogs on a leash. If you approach the pup, you may spook its mother and she may not come back – keeping your distance helps keep mother and pup safe!

📸: Clarice Soleil

[noaasanctuaries]

Need some tips for getting the perfect underwater shot? We’ve got you covered!

Always let the underwater life you encounter dictate the interactions. Never chase or feed wildlife. You are in their home, and we are just spectators. There is nothing more humbling than seeing a shark or sea lion glide effortlessly underwater, and there is nothing more exciting than capturing these animals on camera and bringing that footage home to share that experience. When you have all of your equipment, diving, and camera dialed in and you slow down and let the action come to you, that is when you capture magic in your photos and videos. Who knows, maybe your photograph or video will inspire someone to want to help protect these amazing creatures and places that call the underwater world home.

We look forward to seeing your incredible photos above and below the waters of your National Marine Sanctuary System during this year’s Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest! Our contest closes TOMORROW (Monday, September 4, 2023). Submit your entries now!

🎥: Nick Zachar/NOAA

[noaasanctuaries]

Today is the anniversary of the Endangered Species Act! 🎉

The National Marine Sanctuaries Act is not the only piece of legislation that’s important to your sanctuaries. On this day, December 28, the Endangered Species Act was signed in 1973. Considered to be one of the world’s strongest conservation laws, the ESA provides a framework to conserve and protect endangered and threatened species and their habitats.

Learn more about the timeline of the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries:

[noaasanctuaries]

Rare sighting in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary: the sea lions of Olympic Coast appear to engage in a lively chat with none other than Chewbacca, one of our favorite intergalactic visitors to sanctuaries.

Happy Star Wars Day from our blue planet!

May the 4th be with you.

📸: Carey Floyd/NOAA (This is an edited photo of Chewbacca next to sea lions, it is not real. Please remember to keep your distance from marine life.)

[noaasanctuaries]

“Hey, I have a whaley funny joke for ya. What do you call a pod of musical orcas?”

…

“An orca-stra! *buh dum tss!*”

When they aren’t splashing around dad jokes, orcas can be sighted sporadically along North America’s West Coast, including in NOAA's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The best time to spot an orca in this sanctuary is from April until June, when they feed on migrating gray whales.

📸: Douglas Croft

[noaasanctuaries]

*Hearing a strange noise in the house when you're the only one home* 😳

What was that noise? Oh. It was probably just a male oyster toadfish looking for a mate! Found in Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, oyster toadfish may not be known for their attractiveness, but rather the loud foghorn-like calls males produce during mating season. Male toadfish do this by vibrating their swim bladder muscles. This call can be heard over long distances, beckoning female toadfish to come say hello. Have you ever heard their calls?

📸: Greg McFall/NOAA

[noaasanctuaries]

Green sea turtles are always ready for St. Patrick’s Day! 🍀

Adult green turtles are unique among sea turtles in that they eat only plants; they primarily feed on on seagrasses and algae. This diet is thought to give them greenish-colored fat, from which they take their name. This one was spotted by a snorkeler in Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

Have you seen anything green when you were in a national marine sanctuary?

📸: Bruce Sudweeks (2022 GIYS Photo Contest Submission)

#EarthIsBlue #StPatricksDay #RecreateResponsibly #WildSanctuaries #GreenSeaTurtle #Green

[noaasanctuaries]

“As a photographer, I am so fortunate to see the beauty that surrounds us. We need to be much more aware of the delicate balance of life in this fragile environment. I hope my photographs will inspire others to appreciate our wonderful ecosystem, and become more involved in cherishing and preserving its breathtaking views!” -Jack Louden

Congratulations to our Sanctuary Life 2nd place winner, Jack Louden, for this incredible shot in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary!

Check out the rest of this year's winners:

[noaasanctuaries]

Watch out for whales!

It's still humpback whale season in Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Every winter, koholā (humpback whales) travel to the warm, shallow waters of Hawai‘i to mate, give birth, and raise their young.

Keep a sharp lookout, watch your speed, and remember to give these beautiful animals their space.

Sightings of the colossal marine mammals peak between the months of January and March, then gradually decline until humpback season ends in early May. Each year provides opportunities for whale watching, research, citizen science, and the need for entanglement response.

This image was taken last month in Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary by Ed Lyman/NOAA under NOAA permit #25754.