Unbelievably Small and Beautiful Creatures of the Sea

14 May, 2026

Octopuses as small as a thumbnail and mandarin fish so fast they can only be captured with a still camera.

Underwater photographer Kimmo Hagman has been diving in the Lembeh Strait in Indonesia to capture the ocean’s tiniest creatures on film and in photos.

A wondrous world of shapes, colors, and species that almost seem imagined. But the purpose of the trip was serious: to document this life so that future researchers can see what the past looked like.

Cover photo: A pair of mandarin fish. Photo: Kimmo Hagman

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