A Lemon Peel Nudibranch, Spiny Brittle Stars and Purple Sea Urchin © Brandon Cole / Offset

Mantle of Giant Clam © Brandon Cole / Offset

Flatworm, tropical West-Pacific Ocean region © Brandon Cole / Offset

Traveling around the globe, wildlife photographer Brandon Cole captures the secret wonders of ocean life great and small, bringing to light the vitality of the mysterious deep. Having earned a marine biology degree from the University of California, Cole paints an enlivened portrait of unimaginable ecosystems thriving everywhere from Indonesia’s tropical coral reefs to the freezing waters of Alaska. With experience working for the National Park Service, the Austrialian Institute of Marine Science, and a number of marine scientists, he plays the role of both the scientist and the artist, marrying objective study with affectionate attention to aesthetic detail.

The photographer, dedicated to preserving the miraculous creatures he documents rather than interfering with their habitats, tenderly chronicles their activities. An inching flatworm or the curling bodies of Spiny Brittle Stars are seen with as much reverent astonishment as a forty-ton breaching whale. Strange invertebrate beasts exist in concord with one another, engaging in a rhythmic dance of color, texture and shape.

Purple-tipped Sea Anemones © Brandon Cole / Offset

A ribbon of sea slug eggs © Brandon Cole / Offset

Aggregation of Anthias feeding on plankton in the current © Brandon Cole / Offset

Red Gorgonian with feeding tentacles © Brandon Cole / Offset

Blood Sea Star and Spiny Brittle Stars © Brandon Cole / Offset

Sea slug © Brandon Cole / Offset

All photos featured in this post can be found on Offset, a new curated collection of high-end commercial and editorial photography and illustration from award-winning artists around the world. Offset is an exclusive category channel partner on Feature Shoot.