Middle Earth is a great place, mostly because it is so beautiful. Well that beauty is actually real and takes place in New Zealand. A few weeks ago some scientists there decided to explore another part of their country that hasn’t ever been explored. The ocean around it.

So some Scientists with New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research jumped in a boat and took off to the Kermadec Ridge in the South Pacific. While there they explored 4 regions that have never been seen before by human eyes.

The point of the expedition was to take stock of the sea creatures below to understand how human activity could affect what was down there. “In order to ensure that deep-sea ecosystems do not suffer too much damage from things like bottom trawling or mineral extraction, we need to know what animals occur there, and how vulnerable they are to impact,” said Malcomb Clark said in an interview with National Geographic.

The survey managed to find several unknown species as well as some potential new ones. The 3,800 square mile area that this range covers is huge by our standards but small compared to the ocean. The underwater range is north of New Zealand and does feature some above water islands that are just beautiful.

Here are some of the photos of the animals found while on the expedition. Thanks to National Geographic for these wonderful images: