Live Pterosaur
Media Center
Live Pterosaur
Media Center
Abram of Opai
In 2004, the American forensic videographer interviewed natives on Umboi
Island, Papua New Guinea: eyewitnesses of the ropen. Abram of Opai
Village is one of many islanders who have seen the flying light that their
traditions tell them is the being that is like a spirit but also like a man, except
that it flies around at night while glowing brightly.
One of Abram’s two interviews with Whitcomb was brief. In 2003, he saw
the ropen light flying about a hundred meters high, seeming to follow the
ridge near Opai Village, as it headed towards Tarawe Village.
The other intervew was more instructive. Later in 2003, he saw the ropen fly
from Mount Bel to a reef and then back to that mountain. Abram thought the
ropen was fishing, for it stayed for some time around the surface of the sea,
above the reef, before returning to Mount Bel.
###
The opinions expressed are those of Jonathan David Whitcomb.
Media professionals may use these paragraphs in whole or in part for news distribution.
All of the images on this page may also be used by the news media.
Other Resources
“Pterodactyl” reported in Papua
New Guinea (by Veteran)
Press Release by KSN
Eyewitness Abram, Opai Village
David Mokay of Opai Village
This native of Umboi Island saw the
ropen light: a brilliant five-second flash
Alternate name spelling: David Moke
For a medium-sized (171 KB) image: Gitmo Pterosaur
The above image might possibly relate to the ropen of Umboi
Flying Light of Umboi Island
From the 2009 peer-reviewed scientific paper
“Reports of Living Pterosaurs in the Southwest
Pacific” (by Jonathan D. Whitcomb, CRSQ,
Volume 45, Winter 2009):
“Eyewitness testimonies can be divided into two
categories: those describing a flying light and
those describing a creature. Four of the
eyewitnesses describe both a glow and a shape
or features, connecting the two types of
description.
“Most ropen sightings are of a bright but brief
glow that moves approximately horizontally at
about 330 ft (100 m) above ground level, often
against a mountain background. Based on
interviews from the 2004 expeditions . . . an
estimated several hundred Umboi Islanders
have seen this light. This is not conclusive of
living pterosaurs but is strong evidence of an
unknown flying creature, probably displaying
bioluminescence. Of the nine American
expeditions (1994–2007), six resulted in at least
one sighting of the light.”