418 Dive Log Australasia JUNE 2026.pdf

Marine Naturalists in Lembeh I make no bones about it. I am a big fan of Alfred Wallace. He is considered the father of Zoogeography, the geographical distribution of life. He observed geographical boundaries and the effect of isolation on species. He speculated on pressures that created ‘change’ in species. The basic premise of evolution is that species change over time! Wallaces observations are solid support for Darwin’s research. The well known Wallace Line that divides the distribution of land animlals is a tribute to Wallace. Wallace developed the idea of Natural Selection independently and did many more years of field research than Darwin did. (14 v 5) Darwin regarded Wallace as one of the foremost thinkers on Evolution of the nineteenth century and went to great lengths to acknowledge him. They were co – authors of the great theory of Evolution. Wallace wrote books on the distribution of animals across continents today known as Zoogeography. He wrote a lot about his concern about what he regarded then as THE impending calamity on our planet. That is, of deforestation and its damaging effect on our planet. These days, it has become

an even greater threat to the planet. My view about anthropogenic climate change is that deforestation is the elephant in the cupboard that may be equal to carbon dioxide output that generates so much climate alarm. We all need to go and plant a tree every week. The main culprits of the downward spiral of life on earth are the chain saw, the internal combustion machine and rampant over fishing and over exploitation of Mother Earth. When we dive, we can see the marvels of Adaptive Radiation that captivated Darwin in the Galapagos Islands. Darwin’s finches are the textbook example used to teach millions about how Finches adapted to survive in ecological niches in differing environments by developing anatomically different beaks. This meant that Finches could survive on different diets and not compete with each other for the same food source. Each species the share the same ecosystem, developed a niche in which it can survive and proliferate, avoiding competition. Wobbegongs are a perfect example. Hale’s Ornate Wobbegong, the Spotted Wobbegong and the

The Paddle flap Rhinopias spent a few weeks hunting at Nudi Falls . When it has devoured lots of the fish, it moves on to a new feeding ground.

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Dive Log Australasia #418 June ’26

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