Under a magnifier, a splash of seawater teems with life. Credit: David Liittschwager/National Geographic Creative

Ever swallowed a huge gulp of water while swimming in the ocean? If so, looking at this splash of seawater magnified 25 times may make you cringe.

Award-winning photographer David Liittschwager, who has been commissioned numerous times by National Geographic, captured a series of snaps showing the range of microfauna in the ocean that is indiscernible to the human eye.

The photos show a single splash of water can contain fish eggs, crab larva, worms, bacteria and all sorts of other tiny critters and plants known collectively as plankton.