(Text by kind permission of Dr Simon Williams)
I glanced at my buddy who signalled OK. Suddenly, like a scene from a nightmare, the head of a large conger eel rushed towards me and snapped at my mask. I grinned, gently pushing the rather confused eel away before giving a reassuring "OK" in return. Then there were more eels, at least six, coming towards us from all angles.
This was my second dive here and I had already experienced a change in my attitude towards congers. Despite being the subject of so many tall diving tales, they are surprisingly gentle and far from being demonic creatures of the deep - as some people maintain.
At the start of an earlier dive my confidence was shaken by the sight of three divers from Dublin struggling with a huge eel that had swum up the line to meet them, intent on devouring a goody bag full of fresh fish.
Amid confusion, Jamie attempted to drag the bag from the conger's grip, but the eel twisted the bag into a knot before swallowing it and retreating to the safety of the wreck - and possibly a bad case of indigestion. After that I became very conscious of keeping my fingers firmly in my fists - less they get dragged off by another hungry eel.
Five minutes into the dive I had forgotten the incident and was fascinated by the slow and gentle movements of these fish. They are so placid it is possible to stroke them and manoeuvre them around without being bitten.