Conger Eel

Photo: Kevin Bryant · CC BY-NC-SA

Conger eels reaching 1.5 metres are among the most iconic residents of the Berlengas granite labyrinth, occupying permanent dens in the boulder fields and patrolling at dusk and night for fish and large crustaceans. They are apex ambush predators whose presence signals a healthy, lightly fished ecosystem — the reserve status of the islands has allowed this population to remain one of the most robust in Portuguese waters. Divers regularly encounter multiple individuals on a single dive, resting with their heads probing from rock crevices.