420 Dive Log Australasia OCTOBER 2026

to apply their lifetime of learning to the marine life. This is where it becomes really interesting! As my dive course progressed into day four and day five, we encountered so many wonderful marine creatures. From that male Wobbegong, to the massive Smooth Stingray to the super friendly Blue Groper. We had so many scintillating discussions about all sort of aspects of Evolution. The great ideas of Natural Variation, Environmental Pressure, Survival of the Fittest, Geographical Isolation and so many more.

I was totally elated at their response. “How come you know so much about our lifetime’s work?” they asked. I said that the Theory of Evolution had become one of the great ideas of science during the 20 th and 21 st Century and that every school child was taught how important it has been and will continue to be. I learned so much more about it at University and I taught Biology for my day job. They were flabbergasted and honoured to have their lifetime’s work part of mainstream education 150 years later on.

Scientists try to identify a common ancestor. A fish that has external bony ridges, a long tube mouth. They look for common anatomical features such as an egg laying pouch. The Pegasus fish is a distant ancestral relative. Dive Log Australasia #420 October ’26 71 www.divelog.net.au