UFOs of Costa Rica
With official U.S. Air Force UFO footage and military testimony now reaching Congress, and strange drone-like craft stirring global concern, it’s time to revisit Costa Rica’s most compelling encounters. As the world shifts toward serious inquiry, let’s embrace the updated, baggage-free term—Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, or UAP.
Despite its modest size, Costa Rica boasts an impressive record of sightings. From brilliant daytime formations and classic silver disks to bizarre manta-ray-shaped craft, something truly unusual stirs in the skies above this remarkable country.
THE 1971 LAKE COTE PHOTO
Costa Rica’s most iconic UAP sighting unfolded on September 4, 1971, above Lake Cote—an isolated crater lake just north of Lake Arenal. Aerial mapmaker Sergio Loaiza and his team flew a twin-engine Aero Commander at 10,000 feet, following a precise survey route for the National Geographic Institute. Their mission supported the Presa Sangregado Dam project, which later expanded Lake Arenal. Mounted beneath the aircraft, a 100-pound high-resolution camera automatically captured black-and-white images every 20 seconds, documenting the terrain below for hydroelectric planning.
During the flight, the crew spotted a strange, glowing disk hovering just above Lake Cote’s surface. As the camera fired, the object suddenly shot away and vanished. It appeared in only one frame of the entire photo series, leaving no trace beyond that single, eerie image.
Photo #300
Once the photos were developed, frame #300 revealed something extraordinary—a crisp image of a metallic disc hovering above Lake Cote, reflecting sunlight and featuring a raised central dome. Sergio Loaiza and his two crew members received orders to stay silent and avoid public discussion of the encounter. But by 1979, the photo reached UAP researchers and media outlets, quickly earning the title of “best UAP photo ever taken.”
Interest in the image has surged again recently, thanks to digital restoration and enhancement efforts. Here’s the cleaned-up version of that iconic snapshot:
What makes this photo more striking is not only the fact that it has been analyzed to be genuine, but also that it always remained securely held in Costa Rican Government’s chain of custody.
MANTA RAY UAP
On March 22, 2015, near Ciudad Colón, a mysterious manta ray-shaped UAP hovered and glided through the sky for 11 minutes, captured in a series of photographs. The object lacked visible propellers and appeared oddly dim against the bright morning light. Though its silhouette resembled a King Vulture, the unusual coloration and intense sun reflections defied logical explanation. These anomalies only deepened the mystery surrounding one of Costa Rica’s most enigmatic aerial sightings.
IRAZÚ VOLCANO UAP
In February 2016, a witness near Irazú Volcano captured a disc-shaped craft with a raised center while photographing the crater rim and horizon. He noticed strange cloud formations but didn’t see the UAP during the shoot. Only later, while reviewing the images at home, did he spot the object hovering just beyond the rim. In photos taken seconds afterward, the craft had vanished—suggesting it either disappeared or departed at incredible speed. The brief appearance added another layer of mystery to Costa Rica’s growing archive of anomalous aerial encounters.
THE SAN JOSE LIGHTS
As seen in this video, a formation of bright lights was seen during the day in San Jose. The sighting took place in the Zapote district at around 4:40pm on August 13, 2011. The lights were seen by dozens of residents and the sighting was later broadcast on the local news channels.
WHAT ARE UAPs???
There are a number of theories about the origins of the UAP phenomenon. A few of the more popular takes state that UAPs are:
- Hoaxes, exaggerations, cries for attention.
- Normal, explainable man-made objects which are misidentified – like weather balloons, rockets, aircraft, drones, or satellites (especially Starlink).
- Natural phenomena like bright stars & planets, lightning & ball lightning, will-o-the-wisps, lenticular clouds, sun halos, and many others.
- Psychological phenomena like hallucinations, dreams, drug or alcohol influenced visions, or mass hysteria.
- According to psychiatrist Carl Jung, UAPs are projections of the collective unconscious – specifically those of archetypal images of God.
- Advanced human aircraft and drones developed in military secrecy, like was the case with F-117 Stealth Fighter.
- Alien visitors, travelling in craft from their homes beyond our solar system.
- Inter-dimensional craft carrying visitors from concurrent parallel dimensions.
- Us, from the future – UAPs are time machines.
DID YOU SEE AN UAP?
Great – you now have a story to tell over the campfire! You can also report your sighting to MUFON – Mutual UFO Network. You can make an online report here.
OUR LOCAL MYSTERIES
The cases above barely scratch the surface of Costa Rica’s rich tapestry of unexplained aerial phenomena. A quick online search reveals countless other accounts—witnesses describing strange lights, mysterious craft, and eerie encounters. Speak with locals, and you’ll almost always find someone with a story to share. Intriguingly, many of the most compelling sightings cluster in the corridor between Irazú and Arenal volcanoes, a region that seems unusually active. No matter where you are, stay alert and keep your camera close—because something extraordinary might just glide across the horizon when you least expect it.
Mysterious craft visiting our active volcanoes, formations of bright lights overflying our major cities, whispered stories shared between locals & expats alike – is it the mystery, or do our clear jungle skies want to make believers out of all? A starry night at the beach, a roaring backyard bonfire, or a simple glance at the infinite universe above may give you a glimpse of the unexplained! RE/MAX WE SELL PARADISE is your trusted real estate partner in this land of wonder and mystery – browse the hot listings in our area and, when ready, give us a call – we are patiently waiting!
