KEY POINTS
- A UFO-tracking app called Enigma has logged more than 9,000 underwater sightings of USOs.
- The sightings include reports of strange lights and objects plunging into or emerging from the sea without a splash.
- Enigma's database shows a surge in reports since 2022, mapping dense clusters of activity along both the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines.
A surprising spike in underwater anomalies along U.S. coastlines has sparked alarm among defence officials after a popular tracking app, Enigma, recorded thousands of sightings of so-called Unidentified Submersible Objects, or USOs.
The app, which describes itself as the world's largest searchable database of UFO and UAP sightings, claims to have logged more than 30,000 unexplained events since its launch in late 2022.
But while unidentified flying objects have long dominated public imagination, Enigma's latest data suggests something far stranger may be happening below the surface. Hundreds of new reports describe mysterious glowing objects rising from the depths or disappearing into the water without leaving a ripple.
The revelations have left both enthusiasts and experts speculating about what lies beneath — from advanced military technology to phenomena science has yet to explain.
Thousands of Sightings Beneath the Surface
According to Marine Technology News, Enigma has recorded over 9,000 mysterious sightings within 10 miles of U.S. shorelines or major bodies of water. More than 150 of these describe objects hovering just above or plunging into the water. The states topping the list are California, with 389 USO reports, and Florida, with 306 — both coastal states with vast maritime zones.
Enigma has also released detailed maps showing clusters of orange dots up and down the east and west coasts. One of the strangest videos submitted to the platform shows eerie green lights moving beneath the ocean's surface, leaving experts and enthusiasts baffled.
Navy Concerns and 'World-Changing' Implications
While UFO sightings are often dismissed as optical illusions or misidentifications, some experts say underwater versions could be far more serious.
Retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, who previously served as acting head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, warned that these anomalies could have major implications for national security.
'The fact that unidentified objects with unexplainable characteristics are entering U.S. water space and the Department of Defense is not raising a giant red flag is a sign that the government is not sharing all it knows,' Gallaudet said in a 2024 report.
He called the objects' apparent ability to move seamlessly between air and water 'world-changing,' and warned that ignoring the phenomenon could 'jeopardize U.S. maritime security.'
Gallaudet referenced one infamous incident in 2019, when the USS Omaha tracked a spherical object flying over the Pacific near San Diego before it plunged into the ocean and disappeared. Pentagon officials later verified the footage, noting the object left no wake or debris.
What Exactly Are USOs?
Unidentified Submersible Objects, or USOs, refer to any object or phenomenon detected underwater that cannot be identified or explained. They are the aquatic counterparts of UFOs or UAPs (unidentified anomalous phenomena).
Witnesses, from medieval sailors to modern Navy sonar operators, have described similar encounters - objects that move at extraordinary speeds, change direction instantly, or cross between sea and sky with 'transmedium' capabilities that defy the laws of physics.
Historical accounts stretch back centuries. In the 11th century, witnesses in England described a fiery object that 'revolved, ascended on high, and then descended into the sea.'
In 1825, naturalist Andrew Bloxam reported seeing a red, luminous orb rise from the ocean while sailing aboard HMS Blonde. 'It was the color of a red-hot cannon shot,' he wrote, bright enough that 'a pin might be picked up on deck.'
A Pattern Across Time
Reports continue into the present day. Veteran Navy sonar operator Aaron Amick has said that 'fast mover' contacts occasionally appear on sonar, describing them as 'so quick that you can't measure the speed.'
Gallaudet, testifying before the U.S. House Oversight Committee in late 2024, reiterated that such incidents cannot be easily dismissed.
'Pilots, credible observers and calibrated military instrumentation have recorded objects accelerating at rates and crossing the air–sea interface in ways not possible for anything made by humans,' he said in his 29-page report for the Sol Foundation.
The Mystery Beneath
What makes USOs so confounding is that they blur the line between natural and artificial phenomena. Some experts speculate that secret military drones or advanced underwater vehicles could account for a portion of sightings. Others insist the speeds and maneuvers reported go far beyond current human technology.
As for Enigma's data, it paints a picture of persistent, widespread sightings along U.S. coasts, particularly near naval training zones and busy shipping routes. Whether coincidence or clue, it has renewed calls for deeper investigation.
For now, the ocean remains the least understood domain on Earth. As Gallaudet put it, 'We know more about the surface of Mars than our own deep sea.'
