NUFORC Sighting 175344

Occurred: 2023-04-08 09:30 Local
Reported: 2023-04-14 12:58 Pacific
Duration: One hour plus
No of observers: -2

Location: Cayo Costa state park/ gulf of mexico, FL, USA
Location details: Cayo Costa state park. At the small anchorage just after entering Pelican Harbor looking n.w.

Shape: Rectangle
Characteristics: Lights on object, Emitted beams, Changed Colo

Watched one row of lights coming off gulf which we thought to be an airplane without strobes. It was extremely slow and stopped.

We were anchored in our boat and set up for the evening. I was idly watching airliners now and then come and go, not many but easily known by landing lights and strobes. I am an ex pilot and familiar with this. I kept noticing this row of lights coming slowly towards us at a lower altitude than commercial craft, in fact it's slowness is what got my attention. Finally I noticed it had become stationary.

The night was dark with mild humidly which allowed me to then notice a light emitting out of what you may describe as wings, 90 degree to the craft. Primarily aiming towards us was a light or lights, one in the middle and others further out. Looking at it with binocs they seemed to be rainbow colors other then primary white.The craft now just set there near our boat and I judged it to be quite large. After 20 minutes or so, due to the lights shining out into the atmosphere which glowed somewhat like a flashlight in the humidity, I could see a wobble as though it were balanced with whatever kept it afloat was aimed downward like a gravity cancellation device, certainly not blades or jets for lit was completely silent .This wobble is reported by other observers in other circumstances from what I have read. A few times it was very pronounced.
Nothing further happened for almost an hour. I did take a couple shots with my iPhone, not telephoto because I expected it not to take a good picture, but did it at the urging of my daughter whom was in Michigan, We became bored and finally decided to turn in for the night when I took another look around and found another airline rapidly coming into our area, in fact way too fast for an airliner which prompted me to take a closer look. As it got closer, It took a tight right turn, almost 90 degrees and stopped to my right of craft number 1. Immedietly we noticed this was a copy of number one. Tailing close to number 2 was yet another which duplicated the flight pattern of of 2 and stopped. Both were lower than 1 and separated by a few miles. Number two then disappeared completely as though it went away or turned off its lights.
Now we had in sight number 1 and 3 well separated. Number 3 then began ascending straight up at a fast speed, but easily followed. It disappeared above us in less than 45 seconds. A few clouds which were misty obscured some of the view, but we could still watch it. As soon as it was gone another came into the picture replacing its position and immediately ascended the same at number 3, this making it the last. After it went out of sight either number two re-appeared or we had number 5. Looking to the left at this point we noticed number one was gone, not sure if it turned off its lights or it ascended. Then the last one did as the others, ascended into space or the upper atmosphere.
I am 83 years old, retired teacher and first responder. Having taught science and fine arts. I was fire and rescue for 28 years as well and built and flew my own airplanes along the way, not a nut case. Also over the many year starting in 1954 having seen a disc fly over then which I kept my mouth shut. Later I spent 6 years in the federal reserves, army. We also were very close to a very large craft which went nearly over us at key largo around 2000 when anchored there. Then were witnesses to a hugh light with a second showing after a short time in mid Florida when crossing fl. On the okechobee. This was to big we heard a captain commenting of seeing it from the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic, which impressed us. But then a few day later we saw a video of it from fort Meyers on Hard Copy, a tv show back then and I assume this is in some archives.

Posted 2023-05-19