Live Pterosaur Media Center Live Pterosaur For News Media David Mokay sees a bright light Cottingham Sighting In 1972, Steven Cottingham was the government's officer-in-charge of  Umboi and surrounding islands, for what was then the dependent nation of  New Guinea. He had lived on Umboi for over a year when he had his own  sighting of the ropen light.   One night, near Lab Lab on the southeast coast of Umboi Island, he saw a  flying light that lasted four or five seconds. When he asked local natives  about it, they told him it was a “spirit light.”   After Cottingham had finished fishing off a nearby reef, he arrived at Lab  Lab at about 7 p.m. He saw the dull orange light flying horizontally in a  wave-like manner, between the apparent size of the moon and the size of a  Coleman lantern, appearing to be at the coconut palms.   He checked out the area in the morning and found no possibility that  anyone could have been carrying any lantern where he had seen the light,  for the flying light was across the tops of the trees and those trees were on  flat ground. In addition, the light was flying faster than a man could walk.   Relationship to Cheesman Lights    The ropen light of Umboi Island has been compared with the flying lights  observed by the British biologist Evelyn Cheesman in the 1930’s, but her  expedition was on the mainland of New Guinea, many miles to the west.  According to what she wrote in her book The Two Roads of Papua, the  flying lights she observed lasted “about four or five seconds. . . . It was a  most intriguing mystery because by no possibility could there be human  beings out there using flash-lamps at intervals.”   Other Eyewitnesses of Ropen Light on Umboi    During Whitcomb’s 2004 expedition, he interviewed two eyewitnesses who  estimated how long the flying light lasted. Both estimates seem consistent  with what the American cryptozoologist later learned about sightings by  Cheesman and Cottingham. David Mokay estimated five seconds, as did  William Gima.                                                        ### Other Online Resources Mount Bel, Umboi Island The indava light may come from a flying creature similar to the ropen of Umboi Mount Bel, west of Lab Lab, where the ropen  light is often seen flying at night (the above  view is from the west side of the mountain, by  the first aid station near Gomlongon Village)  Flashing lights and “monkey birds” in Washington state Those who explore for living pterosaurs Lab Lab, an established settlement on the east coast of Umboi Island 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.   Government Official Sees Flying Light on Umboi Island More Images for Media Eyewitness of ropen light flying down to reef, “catching fish” Pterosaur Hoax or not