The deep sea is the largest and most mysterious habitat on our planet. Taking up 95% of the Earth’s living space, it remains largely unexplored. It’s hard to imagine anything surviving in the pitch black, icy cold, crushing environment of the deep ocean, yet scientists are discovering a habitat rich with life. The creatures being uncovered are often so bizarre they might seem, at first glance, like aliens.

In November 2015, photographer Solvin Zankl accompanied a scientific expedition to the Cape Verde Islands in the eastern tropical Atlantic, where his mission was to document the strange creatures living beyond the reach of the sun. ‘There is no other place on earth where you can photograph such interestinglooking animals,’ says Zankl, a trained marine biologist with a lifelong fascination for life under the waves.

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