The oxygen distribution in the retina of six anesthetized macaques was investigated as a model for retinal oxygenation in the human retina in and adjacent to the fovea. PO₂ was measured as a function of retinal depth under normal physiological conditions in light and dark adaptation with O₂ microelectrodes. Oxygen consumption (QO₂) of the photoreceptors was extracted by fitting a steady state diffusion model to PO₂ measurements. In the perifovea, the PO₂ at the choroid was 48±13 mmHg (mean and SD), and fell to a minimum of 3.8±1.9 mmHg around the photoreceptor inner segments in dark adaptation, rising again toward the inner retina. The PO₂ in the inner half of the retina in darkness was 17.9±7.8 mmHg. When averaged over the outer retina, photoreceptor QO₂ (called Qav) was 4.6±2.3 mL O₂-100 g^-1-min^-1 under dark adapted conditions. Illumination sufficient to saturate the rods reduced Qav to 72%±11% of the dark-adapted value. Both perifoveal and foveal photoreceptors received most of their O₂ from the choroidal circulation. While foveal photoreceptors have more mitochondria, the QO₂ of photoreceptors in the fovea was 68% of that in the perifovea. Oxygenation in macaque retina was similar to that previously found in cats and other mammals, reinforcing the relevance of non-primate animal models for the study of retinal oxygenation, but there was a smaller reduction in QO₂ with light than observed in cats, which may have implications for understanding the influence of light under some clinical conditions.