Water both gives and takes life. Unfortunately, no one knows this more than the world’s children. Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death for children under 5. Award-winning photographer Seth Casteel, perhaps best known for his underwater dog photos, wanted to raise awareness about water safety and so produced a new underwater collection — this time featuring babies.

Infants are not born with a natural ability to swim, but instead have a reflex known as the diving reflex, or bradycardic response, which helps them to appear to be swimming, Popular Science reported. The reflex is meant to help babies survive in water, but they need a bit of help to help cultivate the reflex into an actual skill.

Infant swimming lessons are one of the most effective ways to prevent such an accident, and Seth Casteel’s newest photography collection, "Underwater Babies," hopes to inspire parents to teach their children this essential life skill.

"I hope these photos inspire a conversation among parents, which may present an opportunity to educate them about the lessons and the associated benefits," Casteel told The Huffington Post.

Click "View Slideshow" to see his breathtaking photographs of babies ranging from 4.5 to 17 months of age.

Casteel's Underwater Baby Collection is now available for purchase on Amazon.

LoResCasteelUnderwaterBabies
Seth Casteel uses photography to raise awareness of an important worldwide issue. Photo courtesy of Seth Casteel