Eyewitness
David Moke
Pterosaurs Still Living
A native village leader on Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea, encountered a strange light shining down on him
as he was in a canoe, over a reef at night, while his buddy was underwater trying to catch fish with a flashlight.
Ropen-Pterosaur of Umboi
Before examining the testimony of David Moke (pronounced
mow-kay), we need to know something about two sightings
of the ropen: one by Jonathan Ragu and the other by Jonah
Jim. What do their observations have in common? Both of
them saw a large flying creature that was glowing as it flew,
and both Umboi Island men were interviewed by members
of the Woetzel-Guessman team during the second ropen
expedition of the year 2004.
Both Jonathan Ragu and Jonah Jim, in different years and
at different places on Umboi Island, saw a huge animal
that investigators believe has intrinsic bioluminescence. In
that context, we see why so many eyewitnesses have seen
a flying light, on some nights, on this tropical island.
And in the context of those sightings of flying lights we can
see the possibility that David Moke may have seen the glow
of a ropen that night in a canoe.
Jonathan Whitcomb interviewed David Moke (above), of Opai Village, Umboi Island, in 2004
Sighting of a ropen light over a reef
According to the *second edition of the book Searching for Ropens, David Moke “and
Peter Luke . . . were fishing, using the local custom of attracting fish with a ‘diving
torch.’ . . . this waterproof flashlight can ‘put them to sleep.’ Moonless at 11:00 p.m.,
close to the reef, . . . as Moke was paddling the canoe and Luke was diving, without
warning or sound, the sea was lit up with a brilliant light. . . . The light source was
unseen. After about five seconds, it gradually became dimmer until all was again
dark. Jonathan Whitcomb, author of the book, concluded that the ropen of Umboi
Island made the flash, responding to the flashlight.
*The book Searching for Ropens and Finding God is now in its fourth edition.
Mesa, with his friends Gideon Koro and Wesley Koro,
was terrified by the huge ropen that flew, in daylight, over
Lake Pung, Umboi Island. They were three of seven boys
who hiked up to the crater lake (about December of 1993),
but they all ran home after encountering that ropen. The
descriptions given by the three eyewitnesses interviewed
by Jonathan Whitcomb suggest, to American investigators,
a giant Rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur. Ten years after the
sighting, during a videotaped interview, Mesa still looked
nervous talking about the encounter.
Apparently the ropen has an intrinsic bioluminescent
glow that it uses to catch fish on the reefs, but some
villagers on Umboi Island have also seen the five-
second glow as it flies near the mountains.
Luke Paina, from the city of Lae, Papua
New Guinea, saw the ropen briefly as it
flew across the western side of Mount
Bel on the evening of October 5, 2004
near Gomlongon Village. He was one of
the interpreters for the American explorer
Jonathan Whitcomb, who was asleep
during the early-morning sighting.
Mark Kau (seen here with two sons) oversees several
villages within his government responsibilities. From
2002 through 2004, according to the request of an one
American ropen investigator, Paul Nation, Kau kept
notes of his sightings of the ropen light, as he saw it
from Gomlongon Village. Of his several sightings in
2002, one was of the creature flying towards Mount Bel
and in another it was flying away from it. Other persons
on Umboi Island have had similar sightings.
copyright 2005-2019 Jonathan David Whitcomb
ver-011
Eyewitness
David Moke
Pterosaurs Still Living
A native village leader on Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea, encountered
a strange light shining down on him as he was in a canoe, over a reef at
night, while his buddy was underwater trying to catch fish with a flashlight.
Jonathan Whitcomb interviewed David Moke (above), of Opai Village, Umboi Island, in 2004
Sighting of a ropen light over a reef
According to the *second edition of the book Searching for Ropens, David Moke “and
Peter Luke . . . were fishing, using the local custom of attracting fish with a ‘diving
torch.’ . . . this waterproof flashlight can ‘put them to sleep.’ Moonless at 11:00 p.m.,
close to the reef, . . . as Moke was paddling the canoe and Luke was diving, without
warning or sound, the sea was lit up with a brilliant light. . . . The light source was
unseen. After about five seconds, it gradually became dimmer until all was again
dark. Jonathan Whitcomb, author of the book, concluded that the ropen of Umboi
Island made the flash, responding to the flashlight.
*The book Searching for Ropens and Finding God is now in its fourth edition.
Mesa, with his friends Gideon Koro and Wesley Koro,
was terrified by the huge ropen that flew, in daylight, over
Lake Pung, Umboi Island. They were three of seven boys
who hiked up to the crater lake (about December of 1993),
but they all ran home after encountering that ropen. The
descriptions given by the three eyewitnesses interviewed
by Jonathan Whitcomb suggest, to American investigators,
a giant Rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur. Ten years after the
sighting, during a videotaped interview, Mesa still looked
nervous talking about the encounter.
Apparently the ropen has an
intrinsic bioluminescent glow
that it uses to catch fish on
the reefs, but some villagers
on Umboi Island have also
seen the five-second glow
as it flies near the mountains.
Luke Paina, from the city of Lae, Papua
New Guinea, saw the ropen briefly as it
flew across the western side of Mount
Bel on the evening of October 5, 2004
near Gomlongon Village. He was one of
the interpreters for the American explorer
Jonathan Whitcomb, who was asleep
during the early-morning sighting.
Mark Kau (seen here with two sons) oversees several
villages within his government responsibilities. From
2002 through 2004, according to the request of an one
American ropen investigator, Paul Nation, Kau kept
notes of his sightings of the ropen light, as he saw it
from Gomlongon Village. Of his several sightings in
2002, one was of the creature flying towards Mount Bel
and in another it was flying away from it. Other persons
on Umboi Island have had similar sightings.
Ropen-Pterosaur of Umboi
Before examining the testimony of David Moke (pronounced
mow-kay), we need to know something about two sightings
of the ropen: one by Jonathan Ragu and the other by Jonah
Jim. What do their observations have in common? Both of
them saw a large flying creature that was glowing as it flew,
and both Umboi Island men were interviewed by members
of the Woetzel-Guessman team during the second ropen
expedition of the year 2004.
Both Jonathan Ragu and Jonah Jim, in different years and
at different places on Umboi Island, saw a huge animal
that investigators believe has intrinsic bioluminescence. In
that context, we see why so many eyewitnesses have seen
a flying light, on some nights, on this tropical island.
And in the context of those sightings of flying lights we can
see the possibility that David Moke may have seen the glow
of a ropen that night in a canoe.
copyright 2005-2019 Jonathan David Whitcomb
ver-011
Eyewitness
David Moke
Pterosaurs Still Living
A native village leader on Umboi Island, Papua New
Guinea, encountered a strange light shining down on
him as he was in a canoe, over a reef at night, while his
buddy was underwater trying to catch fish with a flashlight.
Jonathan Whitcomb interviewed David Moke (above),
of Opai Village, Umboi Island, late in 2004
Ropen-Pterosaur of Umboi
Before examining the testimony of David Moke (pronounced
mow-kay), we need to know something about two sightings
of the ropen: one by Jonathan Ragu and the other by Jonah
Jim. What do their observations have in common? Both of
them saw a large flying creature that was glowing as it flew,
and both Umboi Island men were interviewed by members
of the Woetzel-Guessman team during the second ropen
expedition of the year 2004.
Both Jonathan Ragu and Jonah Jim, in different years and
at different places on Umboi Island, saw a huge animal
that investigators believe has intrinsic bioluminescence. In
that context, we see why so many eyewitnesses have seen
a flying light, on some nights, on this tropical island.
And in the context of those sightings of flying lights we can
see the possibility that David Moke may have seen the glow
of a ropen that night in a canoe.
Sighting of a ropen light over a reef
According to the *second edition of the book Searching for
Ropens, David Moke “and Peter Luke . . . were fishing, using
the local custom of attracting fish with a ‘diving torch.’ . . .
this waterproof flashlight can ‘put them to sleep.’ Moonless
at 11:00 p.m., close to the reef, . . . as Moke was paddling
the canoe and Luke was diving, without warning or sound,
the sea was lit up with a brilliant light. . . . The light source
was unseen. After about five seconds, it gradually became
dimmer until all was again dark. Jonathan Whitcomb, author
of the book, concluded that the ropen of Umboi Island made
the flash, responding to the flashlight.
*The book Searching for Ropens and Finding God is now
in its fourth edition.
Mesa, with his friends Gideon Koro and Wesley Koro,
was terrified by the huge ropen that flew, in daylight, over
Lake Pung, Umboi Island. They were three of seven boys
who hiked up to the crater lake (about December of 1993),
but they all ran home after encountering that ropen. The
descriptions given by the three eyewitnesses interviewed
by Jonathan Whitcomb suggest, to American investigators,
a giant Rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur. Ten years after the
sighting, during a videotaped interview, Mesa still looked
nervous talking about the encounter.
Luke Paina, from the city of
Lae, Papua New Guinea, saw
the ropen briefly as it flew
across the western side of
Mount Bel on the evening of
October 5, 2004 near
Gomlongon Village. He was
one of the interpreters for the
American explorer Jonathan
Whitcomb, who was asleep
during the late-night sighting.
Mark Kau (seen here with two sons) oversees several villages
within his government responsibilities. From 2002 through 2004,
according to the request of an one American ropen investigator,
Paul Nation, Kau kept notes of his sightings of the ropen light,
as he saw it from Gomlongon Village. Of his several sightings in
2002, one was of the creature flying towards Mount Bel and in
another it was flying away from it. Other persons on Umboi Island
have had similar sightings.
Apparently the ropen has an
intrinsic bioluminescent glow
that it uses to catch fish on
the reefs, but some villagers
on Umboi Island have also
seen the five-second glow
as it flies near the mountains.
copyright 2005-2019 Jonathan David Whitcomb
ver-011