Part 3/9:
Stationed in Patham Bai on the island of Bali, a team of marine biologists, led by Matthias Kopfmüller, prepares to delve into the waters where Wallace made his groundbreaking discoveries. The research vessel Ananda sets off for its initial dive, eager to reinforce or challenge Wallace’s age-old observations with modern technology.
Wallace noted an intriguing diversity among the flora and fauna of islands separated by merely 30 miles. He wondered what environmental factors might be at play. In 1855, after hours of meticulous study and personal sacrifices—including bouts of malaria—he concluded that new species emerged as a result of natural selection, a revolutionary idea at the time.