THEY may look like alien species, but these majestic creatures are in fact jellyfish. Experienced photographer and diver Alexander Semenov plunged into the freezing waters of the White Sea, off the coast of north-west Russia, to document them. And despite temperatures dipping to a chilly minus two degrees celsius, Alexander managed to keep a steady hand and capture this stunning series. Incredibly, the beautiful creatures are usually photographed in the waters of the Pacific or Caribbean. Marine biologist Alexander said: "The marine fauna of this cold sea is astonishing and bears no resemblance to anything seen in the warm seas that you usually see on TV or in photographic books. "The marine fauna of this cold sea is astonishing. "The White Sea bears no resemblance to the warm waters you see everywhere on TV. Jellyfish, skeleton shrimps, amphipods, polychaetes, different molluscs – they are so bright and unusual that you want to explore them, learn something about their lives. And to make a cool picture, for sure." Alexander is head of a team at the remote White Sea Biological Station - which sits nine miles from the nearest village. He has been taking pictures of the inhabitants of the White Sea for two years. Alexander added: "Many scientists are doing exciting work, but are not able to present the results visually. Part of my job is to provide them with illustrative material. If they turn out to be artistic photographs, that’s cool." The White Sea draws visitors from around the world thanks to its clear waters with visibility up to 40 metres.