Stranded jellyfish are a frequent sight along the water’s edge. But where many a beachgoer might only give them a cursory glance before ambling onwards, Danish photographer Tobias Nicolai stopped for a closer look. What he saw there made him grab his macro lens and spend two full days capturing the astounding world hidden in the delicate tissues within. 

“The colours and patterns are so amazing – it’s like an entire galaxy in outer space,” Nicolai explains. “I love the symbolism of it: seeing the mystery of the universe on a regular Danish beach. And it’s all just 99% water.”

For Nicolai it confirms that you can find the most incredible things anywhere, even close to home. “If you have the creativity and imagination, you can see what no one else can see.”