Costa Rica Aerial Photograph: Mapping Camera Captures Disc Over Lake Arenal

On September 4, 1971, an aircraft operated by Costa Rica's Instituto Geográfico Nacional captured an aerial photograph showing a metallic, disc-shaped object over Lake Arenal. The image, taken by a high-resolution mapping camera during a routine survey, has since become one of the most credible pieces of UFO photographic evidence.

The Incident

The aircraft was conducting an aerial mapping survey of the Lake Arenal region at an altitude of approximately 10,000 feet. The onboard R-M-K 15/23 high-resolution mapping camera was set to take photographs at regular intervals as part of the standard survey procedure.

Frame number 300-114 clearly shows a metallic, disc-shaped object positioned between the aircraft and the lake surface below. Neither the pilot nor the photographer noticed the object at the time of capture—it was discovered only when the photographs were developed.

Analysis and Findings

The photograph has been analyzed by multiple photographic experts over the decades, including:

• Dr. Richard Haines (NASA research scientist)
• Dr. Jacques Vallée

Analyses consistently concluded that the object possessed the following characteristics:

• Solid, opaque, three-dimensional disc
• Diameter: approximately 160 to 200 feet
• Location: between the camera and the ground

Significance

The photograph is widely considered one of the most credible pieces of UFO photographic evidence. Its credibility stems from the fact that it was taken accidentally by a calibrated government survey camera under controlled conditions, which eliminates the possibility of deliberate fabrication.