Jutarnji list launched the national contest Guardians of the Adriatic 2026, a major summer campaign and reportage series dedicated to people who, with their work, knowledge, courage and dedication, protect the Croatian sea, islands and the identity of the Adriatic.
In the center of the action will be rescuers, sailors, fishermen, divers, firefighters, biologists, islanders, guardians of maritime and cultural heritage and young heroes of the sea. These are people whose contribution often takes place far from the public eye, although behind their work are saved lives, safer navigation, preserved nature and traditions that are passed on to future generations.
– The sea is not the season for Croatia. The sea is part of our identity. Behind every safe sailing, every life saved and every tradition that has not faded are people who we almost never see in the headlines. They don’t seek attention, they simply do their job, day and night, often silently and far from the spotlight, the editor-in-chief of Jutarnji List points out. Goran Ogurlić.
Jutarnji list therefore invites readers from all parts of Croatia to suggest a person, association, club, voluntary fire brigade or crew that they think deserves the recognition of the Guardian of the Adriatic. The candidate must be nominated by a third person, while independent applications of the candidate will not be taken into account.
In the application, it is necessary to describe his contribution and explain why he deserves recognition. During the summer, Jutarnji list journalists will go out into the field, from the northern Adriatic to the southernmost Croatian islands, to find and tell stories about people who change the lives of their communities every day. Many of these stories are best known by their neighbors, colleagues, friends and people they helped.
– We want to finally see them this summer. That’s why Jutarnji list is launching Čuvare Jadran, a national competition and a large reporting series about the people who protect the sea, the islands and the identity of the Adriatic. Our journalists go to the field, from the northern Adriatic to the southernmost islands, but they cannot find all the stories themselves, says Ogurlić.
Readers can suggest a rescuer, fisherman, diver, island teacher, fireman, biologist, sailor, young hero of the sea or someone who makes an exceptional contribution to the preservation of the Adriatic. Especially important are the stories about people who have been operating for years without much attention, but have become irreplaceable in their communities with their knowledge, responsibility or courage.
– If you know such a person, tell us. Suggest. I believe that journalism also has this task, to recognize and highlight people who, through their work, protect what is most valuable to us. The best stories are almost always told by someone else. That is why candidates are proposed by people who know them, and not by themselves, adds the editor-in-chief of Jutarnji list.
Applications are open from June 25 to July 23, 2026. Candidates can be nominated by filling out the online form on the link or by sending the application to the address (email protected).
After the end of the applications, the received nominations will be checked by the jury of the editorial office of Jutarnji list. Selected stories will be researched and presented by journalists through a summer reporting series, followed by readers’ online voting. The finale of the campaign will be the award ceremony on September 22, 2026 in Zagreb.
– We don’t want this to be just a summer action. We want the Guardians of the Adriatic to become a permanent tradition of Jutarnji List and a tribute to the people without whom the Adriatic would be poorer, more insecure and less ours. I invite you to find these people together and tell their stories, concludes Ogurlić.
Their stories will show how much commitment, courage and responsibility lie behind everyday life by the sea, and why the preservation of the Adriatic begins precisely with the people who remain faithful to it throughout the year.
