2016 Papua New Guinea – Aiu Island
Aiu Island is the nearest island to Ambungi also owned by the Ambungi people. According to a local named Davis who lives on the island, he and others had been chased out of the sea on multiple occasions at night by something emanating bright white light. They were spearfishing at night when a bright white light would come from the horizon and chase them to shore. Davis couldn’t tell if the light was an animal or not. After chasing the group to shore the light would then fly away to the heights of the island. The men and boys spearfish at night off canoes. My guess is whatever the light was was attracted to their flashlights maybe even more so than their presence or movement. (Flashlights “torches” are used to both guide their boats. They’re also used underwater for spotting of fish and predators.)
The phenomenon of light emanating from this creature fits the descriptions of the New Guinea Pterosaur-like cryptids known as “Ropen”. Brightly-lit Flying nocturnal creatures were also reported to have been seen near the town of Karadian in the past. Karadian is around an hour west (by boat) of Aiu Island.
Another such story was told to me by Bryan Girard’s son Rist. He had observed it flying over the town. Multiple people saw it.
And yet another person in Karadian told me about an encounter with lights night. No planes fly in Papua New Guinea at night so these phenomena could not be aircraft. As Brian and I traveled to Karadian along the Armio road I met a young former school teacher from the island of Bali, PNG (not Indonesia) whose name I forget (see picture of him). He told me of similar creatures on his island. He said a bright light flew over the ocean or traveled partially submerged in the water like an octopus with its head sticking out. It apparently traveled from Bali at night to another nearby island. He was familiar with the subject of living pterasuars and brought up Umboi Island to me as well as Roy Mackals famous New Britain Lake cryptid.
Umboi Island has been a hub for cryptozoological research for decades. It is the main place where living pterasuars have been researched.