By the investigative journalist Jonathan Whitcomb
Early expeditions, searching for ropens
Let’s begin with two expeditions in the 1990’s. These were mostly on Umboi Island, which is in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea, and just west of New Britain Island. Explorers were looking for what appeared to be a nocturnal bioluminescent pterosaur, and they interviewed eyewitnesses.
The following is a partial list of explorers who went on those two expeditions:
- Carl Baugh (from Texas)
- Paul Nation (from the same area of Texas)
- Jim Blume (missionary in Papua New Guinea)
- Jacob Kepas (native Baptist minister in PNG)
It seems that Baugh has not gone on any more expeditions since the 1990’s so let’s look at the other explorers.
Paul Nation accompanied Baugh in one of the expeditions on Umboi Island in the 1990’s, as some of the explorers in their group questioned natives about the nocturnal ropen. Paul returned to Umboi with his son, Nathanael, in 2002, but they were unable to get a sighting of a ropen.
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Two ropen expeditions in 2004
After receiving detailed instructions from Paul Nation, three other American cryptozoologists went on their own expeditions on Umboi Island, late in 2004: Jonathan Whitcomb (first expedition), David Woetzel (second exp.), and Garth Guessman (second exp.).
Whitcomb, Guessman, and Woetzel, in two separate expeditions
Those two ropen expeditions resulted in two scientific papers being published in a peer-reviewed journal of science:
- “The Fiery Flying Serpent” (Woetzel)
- “Reports of Living Pterosaurs in the Southwest Pacific” (Whitcomb)
Both expeditions resulted in a sighting of the flying light, but much of what was learned about the ropen came from interviews with native eyewitnesses.
Conclusion
The ropen of Umboi Island is most likely a large long-tailed descendant of a Rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur and it seems to have intrinsic bioluminescence.
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About those who search for living pterosaurs
Here’s a partial list of those who have looked for non-extinct “pterodactyls”
- Paul Nation
- Garth Guessman
- Jonathan Whitcomb
- David Woetzel
- Rex Yapi Epa
- Greg Hedger
- Scott Norman
- Milt Marcy
- Peter Beach
- Jacob Kepas
- James Blume
We also need to thank Clifford Paiva, a physicist in California, for much important work that he has done over the years, in living pterosaur investigations. His scientific work has been extremely helpful.
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How could it be? Extraordinary but true, huge flying creatures, with no feathers yet unlike any bat, live among us, although they mostly fly at night.
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One LDS Perspective on Evolution
A blog in support of a nonfiction book that should be published early in 2019
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Late in 2006, deep in the interior of the main-land of Papua New Guinea, Paul Nation, of Texas, was finally able to videotape two indava lights, as they were near the top of a ridge.
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For years, villagers of Umboi Island have seen the ropen light flying to or from the larger mountains, in particular Mount Bel. Some describe the light as lasting only about five seconds. They say that only one light is seen at a time, and not only natives see it: Westerners have seen the ropen light.
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A scientific paper on living pterosaurs
The Abstract refers to standard models of evolution regarding asserted extinctions of all species of dinosaurs and pterosaurs.
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