The Canary Islands UFO Sighting of 1976: Part 1

When it comes to significant UFO sightings, there are many different events throughout history that may come to mind, such as the Canary Islands UFO sighting that took place in 1976. On June 22nd, reports were made regarding this occurrence that offered a range of details, in terms of duration, location, and number of witnesses. Was it a UFO experience or something different? This article will present the facts.

 

As you encounter the tale of the Canary Islands UFO sighting, a multitude of people were involved with the reporting and investigation of such an event. The Spanish Air Force and a ton of civilian accounts were among some of the players that catapulted this occurrence to the forefront of UFO interest.

 

For starters, the duration of the sight lasted for more than 40 minutes, which means this was not a fleeting moment in time that no one was able to get a grasp on. The sighting did not occur in an isolated location. Witnesses hailing from La Palma, La Gomera, Grand Canary, and Tenerife caught sight of the event, including some who were traveling by ship on the sea. This means that a high amount of people were able to see the same thing or at least part of the same thing. The UFO sighting was documented by hundreds of individuals, which stretched across the gamut of both military and civilian credentials. The details regarding the event also made mention of a craft, as well as of those who were supposed to be inside.

 

Official reports regarding the incident were made by the Spanish Air Force and became declassified in 1994. By that time, most of the information pertaining to the sighting had already reached the eyes and ears of the public a year after the event took place. The details of the occurrence were made known after a journalist got a hold of a host of military files that later became part of a book printed on UFO cases.

 

Spanish Navy Accounts

 

The time was 9:27pm and Spanish Navy employees stationed close to Punta Lantailla on Fuerteventura Island filed reports that a bright yellow light was seen moving about the horizon. Upon first sight, the crew believed that the object in the sky was an aircraft that was showcasing its landing lights, but after further analysis, they noted that the object did not return a radar signature.

 

A little after the observation, the yellow light stopped and a rotating-like beam took over. This sight continued for about two minutes. Soon after, a “glowing halo” developed about the object and then separated into two different components. A smaller section tore away from the bottom and became impossible to see, while the larger section came from the top of the halo and took on a spiral pattern that was described as being fast and random.

 

The reports of the halo (that remained in view for awhile) was viewed by many different witnesses aboard a ship that described the light as reflecting off of the surrounding waters, as well as causing the land located close by to become illuminated.

 

In Part 2, you will learn about the civilian reports, as well as how the investigation pertaining to this event was conducted.