HAVE you ever wondered what curious creatures or bizarre beasts lurk under the shadowy waters of the Solent?

Perhaps you've wondered what shipwrecks lie beneath the waves or what the bottom of the ocean floor looks like.

If your nautical curiosity is teeming with like-minded questions then a new film documenting underwater life in the Solent and the south east coast of England is sure to captivate you.

Beneath the Waves gives a divers-eye-view' of dolphins, seals, sea horses and a fish with fingers that live in these southern coastal waters.

Viewers are invited to marvel at the maritime mysteries of the deep such as the beautiful sea grass meadows beneath the Solent that provide shelter for animals like sea horses.

The National Motor Museum in Beaulieu will be showing Beneath the Waves - the sea-life of South East England on December 7 from 7.30 to 9.30pm.

But the Daily Echo has managed to get hold of these remarkable pictures from the 40-minute film and a sneak two-minute preview of the video for our website.

The film was shot entirely by underwater cameraman Colin Froud who filmed the many animals and plants that inhabit the mud, sand, gravel, rocky reefs and the shipwrecks on the seabed.

Jolyon Chesworth, a marine officer at the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Trust, said: "This film is all about trying to get people to appreciate the fantastic marine life we have all around the Solent. People don't really understand that our seas are really diverse and have interesting creatures living here. You don't have to go abroad to hot countries to see interesting life underwater. This film is all about trying to get people to understand that."

The film also shows the ways in which we depend on the sea, the state they are in and the simple things we can do to help protect the marine life of south east England.

The Solent is jammed full of shipwrecks due to it being a heavy shipping lane and many wrecks are shown on the video.

The film was produced by the Wildlife Trusts' south east Marine Programme and Divercol Productions.

Tickets are £6 each and are available by calling 01590 612401.

To order a copy of the film visit www.divercol.co.uk.