Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary is one of 16 marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments being celebrated with the new stamp series from the postal service, to mark the 50th anniversary of America’s national marine sanctuaries.
Shauna Fry from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – says it’s a way to inspire people to discover the sanctuary system.
"Everybody in the whole United States will get a chance to learn more about our local area, the Channel islands, which are an amazing and beautiful place," she told KCLU.
The Channel Islands’ stamp features a California sea lion and the photo was actually taken by a NOAA employee.
"He said he was hiding behind an elephant seal - they're quite large - so that he wouldn't scare off the sea lion," said Fry.
NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries serves as the trustee for a network of ocean parks encompassing more than 620,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters, an area nearly the size of Alaska. The network includes a system of 15 national marine sanctuaries and two marine national monuments, including Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, that conserve areas with special ecological, cultural and historical significance. The National Marine Sanctuary System turns 50 on October 23, 2022.
The National Marine Sanctuaries Forever® stamp series is a first for NOAA and will be released on Friday, August 5. The stamps come in a sheet of 16 for $9.60 and preorders can be made online at usps.com/stamps.
