Official NASA Caption

This image was taken by Mastcam: Right (MAST_RIGHT) onboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 710 (2014-08-05 13:25:07 UTC).

What are we looking at?

In this photo from the surface of Mars, there is a mysterious and unknown looking creature or plant life on the wall of a rocky outcrop. Or maybe just an illusion and a trick of our eyes.

What exactly is it?

Although many photos on Mars are said to have “objects” like a squirrel, Nazi helmet, or Sasquatch, many are explained away by pareidolia, the psychological phenomena of seeing something that isn’t, like let’s say, a horse in a wisp of clouds. But could this one be different?

It appears to have a different shade of color than the surrounding rocks, indicating maybe it is something unlike the surrounding rocks.

Original NASA Source

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/msss/00710/mcam/0710MR0030150070402501E01_DXXX.jpg 

Photographic Analysis

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SUMMARY

On August 24, 2004 I spoke at length with a female subject from the Lucasville, Ohio vicinity. This persons name will not be divulged in this report. She contacted the Cincinnati UFO Hotline (513-588-4548) to report recent UFO sightings that have taken place over a period of several days near her area. She said that she has video of a UFO from August 17 and also from the last night and earlier this morning. She candidly admits that the video is of poor quality, of hand-held operation and only showing a ‘light’ in the center of a dark screen.

We spoke for over 1-hour and discussed her concerns of UFO activity near her home (Crosspoint of Blue Run and Morris Lane) on August 17, August 19 and earlier this evening (August 24th). She said that her road runs perpendicular to Route 23 and that her home is situated 6-miles from the Ohio Correctional Institute Prison Facilityat Lucasville. The subject said that in addition to herself, there are 4-witnesses to a huge, spherical object in the eastern sky during several episodes of unusual UFO activity taking place over the past few nights and earlier this evening. She also complained of a headache and stomach ache for 3-days after the first sighting of August 17.

ABOUT THE SUBJECT:

Lisa XXXXX (name deleted for privacy)said that she was stationed at Brooks AFB (San Antonio, TX facility which merged with Lackland AFB) for 5-year as a secretary. She is currently disabled(with a birth defect on her left leg) and taking care of a family of 3 children ages 12 to 9. Her youngest son has bipolar disorder.

Her roommate, Sheila XXXXX (also deleted for privacy, on-file) also has a 12-year old daughter and her visiting friend Della XXXXX (also deleted for privacy, on-file) is also a witness to the UFO activity.

AUGUST 17 UFO

The episode of UFO sightings began on Monday, August 17th at about 9:30 p.m. when the witness and her friends Della (who moved in from Athens) and Sheila, all over 30-years old, had been present for a social visit. The three were also concerned about local thieves who had recently been stealing yard property.

While on periodic lookout (sitting on her living room couch inside 2-mobile homes put together to form one home),and looking directly south out her living room window, Lisa noticed what appeared to be bright headlights on a white mailbox post. They continued to watch the mailbox post as it was illuminated for about 30-minutes, taking note that the angle of the lights seemed to originate from the east and an upper direction, before finally asking her roommate to ask
where the reflection of light was coming from. They then went to the west end of the kitchen to look out the window and saw reflective dot-like spots on the tail end of her mini-van parked outside.  The reflectivity was seen on the glass as well as the car itself, and the roof of her van lit up an almost ‘bluish’ color. The witness advised that the entire road in front of the house was also illuminated by a ‘blue haze. ‘The blue color was also reflecting off a propane tank and Lisa, Sheila and Della decided to step outside to investigate the source of the light reflections on the various yard items.

When outside, they cautiously looked around and – according to Lisa – did not think to look toward the sky.They took it for granted that the source of the light was somehow originating from a car on a road. At this point, according to Lisa, they noticed a subtle light change that seemed to become orange-like. The witness looked toward the direction of her mother’s security light situated nearby (there was some kind of huge surge of power through the security light, causing it to glow 4-times brighter than usual and out of focus), trying to find the source of illumination on the tank, and at that point saw pulsing lights in the eastern sky. Lisa said this was somewhat of a shock to her. The bluish-white lights would pulse darker and lighter, the witness said it was like a ‘heartbeat’ and you could depend on the next pulse, not at all like a blink. This was one solid, physical object in the sky, out further than the security light and past the woods, over a tree line and no more than 10-miles distant.

Lisa said this object was visible for hours and the witness observed it taking different positions across the sky, zipping from place to place. It was comprised of several lights and could be seen to rotate, having a white fog about it and at times would be comprised of 3 or 4-lights, but having no sound.

Although the object would move from position to position and return again, they primarily looked at the object when it was in position toward the eastern sky as if it was localized toward Jackson, Ohio (going east on 139).

The witnesses decided to maintain their position and watch this activity for several hours into the early morning time frame. As they listened to a loud chorus of dogs barking from all different areas around her, they also debated what the object was and made an attempt to capture the object on videotape and watched as beams of light were ‘thrown’ or reflected through the air.

Closer to 4:30 a.m., one aircraft comprised of a triangular-shaped light configuration came into view after the witnesses heard a distinct jet-like low, dull roar or rumble. This triangular object,having dozens of pulsating multi-colored lights all around its surface,approached from the west and flew straight overhead at a lower elevation than the first white object, then would change direction and travel southeast.The duration of this sighting was around 60-seconds and then the object would return along the same path, making a direction change at the same estimated position and return to the
west, but looking behind its path and watching its departure, the witness saw many bright glowing star-like objects that pulsed white.

Lisa explained that she was concerned about what might be going on in the Lucasville area and had asked if others had reported sightings. She had heard of local UFO reports before but said that this distinct episode began during the week of the 19th.

On the 19th, Lisa said that she watched a huge, luminescent white cylindrical shape also during late night hours.She attempted to videotape the light source, but on camera its focus is off and the camera was not fastened to a tripod. Lisa said the object looked like a ‘hotdog,’ and acknowledges being an amateur videographer.

CREATURE SIGHTING

During a bizarre sighting that took place several hours before our telephone discussion, Lisa expressed concern about something that may have landed across the road from her residence earlier and went on to express her perception of a humanoid figure seen in the darkness of her backyard within a few hours of the object ‘landing’in the field.

Around 9:30 p.m. (Tuesday, August 24th),Lisa and her friend Sheila felt there was a creature near their home.

“Jesse’s bedroom points toward that field to the east where we’ve seen all this activity behind moms,” she said.

“Shortly after this small light came down in the field across the road, some distance away, we all sat around and were on the lookout for what would happen next. Just a little while after this I heard a rustle and saw a bush move to the left, and that whole area to my left is nothing but woods, brush and hills. I don’t know what it was, but I was tuned in to what was going to happen next and I saw the brush move and I saw eyes or something reflecting light. The security light is between Jesse’s window and that bush, and Jess described (roommates daughter, 13-yrs. Old), the same thing.

Lisa said the experience has been very frustrating and cannot say for certain that the figure spotted was a woodland animal or otherwise related to the UFO sighting. She said that to pass the time, she has been working with the children to craft aluminum foil hats to make light of the situation, and they have been sitting around the house wearing aluminum foil on her head. Despite the effort to find humor in the situation, Lisa said they are seriously alarmed.

I asked if I could talk with Sheila concerning the suspected landing of a UFO and the sighting of this ‘figure’outside.

Sheila then came to the phone and introduced herself to me, explaining: “Okay, there were these lights that came down to ground level, I would say they were lined up almost looks like on aboard, but there are 4 lights together and when they flash they go alternately top right to bottom left, then reverse. Then before you know it, two bright flashes of light go flying into the field and into the forest there to the left, which would be into our woods, opposite to where this thing would be behind the tree line.”

Sheila said that after this “board of lights” would flicker and flash, it seemed to descend into the field where it was no longer visible. She said that she maintained an alert observation,looking out for what was to follow and that some time had passed before the suspected ‘creature’ was sighted (perhaps 15 to 20-minutes).

Sheila said that this ‘creature’ was engaged in a rapid scurrying or running through the field across the road and into the immediate yard in front of the house. She could not discern with certainty whether it was 2 or 4-legged (walking upright) due to darkness,but felt it was walking upright and also felt herself to be keenly aware that there was a physical presence outside as she watched through the window.

She spoke of the creature in the ‘past tense’ method, stressing that she could not presently see it while talking with me by telephone.

“It looked as if I could see eyes in the bushes,” Sheila said. “It looked like a large white head. I could not see a body, it sort of blended into the bush, but the eyes are reflecting the security light, like an animal looking at you in the woods, but I do not know if this was an animal.”

Sheila also repeated that her friend Lisa saw something land in the field and also claimed to have seen something running in the darkness.

“Whatever this was, it was running so fast, that it somehow blended with the environment,” Sheila said.

Sheila estimated the distance of between 20 to 25-feet from the window to the bush where the suspected “eyes” were fixed at one point.

Lisa returned to the phone and I tried to ask follow up questions, but the two were talking excitedly and saying so much that taking notes became difficult at this point. Both Lisa and Sheila felt that the creature was outside the residence while we spoke.

Lisa said that she did not feel threatened,and I asked if they had a flashlight or something to illuminate the area.Sheila gathered her courage as we spoke and I  waited on the phone as she walked outside to investigate the immediate area near the house and nearby bushes. She was away from the phone for about 3-minutes before turning to inform that she could not see anything in the bushes and perhaps”it” was gone (I talked with Lisa on the phone while Sheila had investigated).

I will note for the record that neither Lisa nor Sheila seemed to reference the ‘creature’ as an alien, but clearly expressed their concern that this object was somehow related to the sighting of a UFO.  They did not say the word ‘alien’ and when discussing the creature, they used careful language and several times each one closed their sentence or statement with an upturned ‘question mark’ accent to their expression.

Lisa went on to explain that she had called The Scioto County Sheriff’s Office to report the first UFO sighting from the other morning. Lisa said that the receptionist at police headquarters took her name, address and phone number and said that someone would callback, but Lisa said nobody has called and she doesn’t think her call to the police department was taken very seriously.

When asked of any other unusual activity taking place locally, Lisa said that on August 18,  there was a very strange thunderstorm with continual, rolling thunder and ferocious, strobing lightning that hit her area. This storm was reported by a reporter who writes with the Shawnee Sentinel and at one point, the thunder sounded like a ‘thud’ that hit the top part of the living room, making a sound similar to that of skittering or small feet.

After our lengthy discussion, I told Lisa of my interest in UFOs sighted in the Lucasville area and my interest
in the prison facility there. Lisa speculated that prison guards at the Ohio Correctional Institute should
have been able to see the UFOs that she observed. I explained my interest in following up with Lisa and
Sheila and having a look at her videotape and better understanding the nature of the sighting activity. I
also asked that they keep me posted if any more UFOs are sighted, or if they feel there is something unusual taking place outside. I gave her my telephone number and advised them to undertake extreme caution and to keep
the telephone number to the police department close at hand, and asked that if they should call the police
again to also call me. Lisa explained that she was exhausted and frustrated from this experience.

INVESTIGATOR COMMENT

The witness did not offer any indication of an interest or proclivity toward things paranormal or faith-based. She did explain of her military career and was most helpful with details of her busy family and personal life. The telephone conversation was lengthy and I explained my occasional inability to take notes as complete and thorough as I would have liked as she had a lot to report and would often explain multiple things and sightings at once. She did stop and help me take notes at times, some sentences pertaining to a description of the UFO I would stop and read to her, asking that she correct me on certain notes.

After the discussion, I was of the impression that the witness was basically honest and frustrated with the exhausting circumstances; perhaps believing that UFOs were active in some clandestine or secretive way in the darkness near her residence. Her frustration might have been compounded by her not having an answer to account for the sightings.

As for the sighting of the object seen for a lengthy duration on August 17 that she videotaped, this may fit the description of a routine star or planet when taken into account misperception potential. However, the traits such as ‘pulsing’ and the object changingposition or ‘roaming’ from place to place over a duration do not fit that explanation.

The perception of a ‘creature’ is something I cannot account for, only by speculation that a woodland forest creature such as a deer or even a bear may have been in the vicinity and some situational cross-interpretation developed in which Lisa and Sheila might have interpreted the slight observation or indistinct sighting of this creature into the UFO situation that had already been underway. The indistinct creature,elusively running, was seen in darkness and no discernible form could be observed, and nothing immediately suggests this was any intelligence or related with the sighting of an object thought to have landed moments earlier.

ADDITION

Cincinnati researcher Donnie Blessing made inquiries with the Scioto County Sheriff’s office and was able to determine that the drug surveillance helicopter used in the county was operational in the vicinity during the time frame in question, but not active only during daylight hours – not at night. This rules out the helicopteras one possible explanation.

Filed,
AUGUST 25, 2004
KENNY YOUNG

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Any one know what kind of species is this? As i meet him?… her?… it at Pulau pangkor beach. It kind of weird, every legs with pincers. It got a baloon on it’s head, the baloon with get big and small when it breathing.

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TUCSON, Ariz. (Cryptozoology News) — A group of three mountain bikers reportedly saw a reptilian humanoid last week in the middle of a trail located in the Sonoran desert.

The bicyclists were riding the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo race course, a 17 mile trail, when they spotted the creature.

“It’s a tough one,” said G. Johnson, 34, a self-described businessperson from Tucson. “It is a 24 hour track, so you better come prepared with more than enough food and water. There are times you just wanna go back and wish you had never got there in the first place. But when you see what nature has to offer you here…well, those regrets dissipate rather quickly.”

Johnson states that he and two other friends were half way into the track when something “terrifying” made the group consider cancelling the ride.

“We had been riding for about… I don’t know maybe nine hours, taking breaks every now and then. Then Michael says he needs to stop for a minute. We are waiting for him to finish when all of a sudden we see this long figure walking across the trail. He is maybe about 6-foot tall, very very skinny, and it had an awkward gait, like a monkey…or a man with a disease, almost robotic, kind of,” he told Cryptozoology News.

According to the eyewitness, two of the men were watching the strange animal while the third one, Michael, was unaware of what was happening.

“Then all I remember about Michael is him saying what the hell is that? Or something like that. But he sounded far away. He probably used a different word instead of hell. Thing is, we had somehow walked a little towards the thing. Don’t ask me why…maybe to look at it better, not knowing what it was.”

Then, Johnson says, the creature “heard Michael speak” and, apparently taking notice of the “intruders”, its head took an eerie 280 degree turn.

“He stopped and it made eye contact with me and I could see him clearly. The eyes were kind of like a snake’s, but black and with a yellow stripe in the middle of the eye. It had green and red scales on the face and head. The red color was kind of like the same as the desert sand there, and it looked like it had a sandy texture too. It didn’t have a nose, only two holes on it. I couldn’t see any ears or hair. A red mouth that looked like it had blood around it, but it didn’t look like it was bleeding, it looked like a pattern. It reminded me of a chameleon, but it looked like a person too.”

Allegedly, the creature raised its “long arms with strange looking claws that looked like a branch full of thorns” and waved at them, emitting a loud chattering sound with its teeth. Then it rapidly ran away, in a fashion that reminded the witness of “a lizard trying to hide.”

“He looked like he was examining us and then he ran into the desert. We thought about going back the same way we came, but we thought it didn’t matter, since we were in the middle of the track anyway. We were scared, to be honest. None of us had ever seen anything like it. It lasted only a few seconds, but it felt longer than that, at least to me. So after we talked about it for a while, we decided to go on and finish the track.”

Johnson believes that what they saw was real and not a product of their imagination. “When you read these stories online or watch them on TV, well, you think man these people are crazy, on meds or something or in need of attention, but this has made me a believer. There has to be more of them out there. If there’s one, there’s gotta be two at least right? I know most people won’t believe a word I said, that’s the way I used to be. I don’t blame them at all. But they are out there. Now I’m not saying this is an alien or a chupacabra or anything like it, all I’m saying is I have never seen anything like it in my life. But I am no biologist so what do I know.”

Theories of subterranean “alien” bases are popular in the UFO community and describe the entities as humanoids of reptilian appearance. Southwestern Native American legends tell the story of underground creatures living next to humans for thousands of years. People living around the New Mexico border report seeing strange lights in the sky and bizarre phenomena. Indirectly creating a thin line between cryptozoology and ufology, writer Mac Tonnies, in his book The Cryptoterrestrials: A Meditation on Indigenous Humanoids and the Aliens Among Us, proposes the idea that certain “alien” sightings could be attributed to the existence of a group of humanoid species endemic to Earth.

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This case file has now been labeled a hoax, as the photo was from a 1980’s film known as Xtro. 

Original news story still archived below for reference.

Recent NM ‘skinwalker’ photo ignites fear

By Kim Vallez, KRQE News

CUBA, N.M. (KRQE) – Is a strange alien-looking creature prowling in northern New Mexico?

A Facebook picture circulating Thursday has a lot of people up there worried. The post was shared thousands of times within a few hours and had a lot of people uttering the word skinwalker, a well-known legend in Indian country.

The picture shows an unexplained being lurking on the side of a road.

The person who posted it claimed it was taken near Lybrook and Counselor, which is near the Jicarilla reservation.

The story claims that a geologist was working in an oil field in the area and saw something odd and decided to take a heat signature of it. The next day, the geologist suddenly quit.

The story spread like wildfire with people on social media saying, “seriously freaking out,” “yikes … I’m driving through there tomorrow,” and “skinwalker!”

Skinwalker refers to a Native American legend which was brought to life by author Tony Hillerman.

According to the legend, a skinwalker is a person with the supernatural ability to turn into any animal and walks on all fours.

There are stories of countless encounters, but few will speak of them, too scared they will be targeted again.

Many people who posted and shared the picture Thursday said they found their posts and comments disappear. People who emailed it to others said they were unable to retrieve it.

But everyone can rest easy. It didn’t take long for the picture and story to be debunked.

It apparently comes from a 1980s science fiction move “Xtro,” where a creepy being is born, then goes on the prowl and is spotted by a couple driving along the road.

It’s unclear how the story was connected to Lybrook or Counselor, or that so-called geologist. Perhaps it was just someone having a little fun, but it shows the power of social media and legends.

The New Mexican who posted the image Thursday has since taken it down, saying she shared it because others had. She says she has no information about its origin.

Source and special thanks: KRQE News 

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Original Posting from (and special thanks to) The Black Vault User OddDuckfor the initial report:

Hey guys I know I am new here but I noticed you didnt have the wierd picture on this site. It is a new story I just found out about there is very little to what is known about it or anything I just have the picture.  If you can find more out that would be great!  Looks like an oarfish swam through fukushima. lol 

“Experts” are saying this is a giant oarfish or a thresher shark.  If you go ahead and look these creatures up you can see that they look nothing like creature dead on that beach.  The oarfish if you look at multiple photos is very long and skinny.  There are no horns on the oarfish.  Then the thresher shark.  It’s a shark with a tail fin?  Come on seriously?!!?

Maria Sanchez of Civil Protection in Cuevas.  This creature was apparently 13 ft from head to tail.  It stunk as well this reminds me of the case that was recently posted here about what people seem to think is a whale carcass.  I am wondering if the Leviathans really did exist.

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Not much is known about the alien that some have dubbed the stick alien. And the authenticity of the video is also not known. Either way though, it’s a pretty creepy looking thing that isn’t like most aliens that I see with the humanoid body, large head and big eyes.

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Originally, I had no information on this case.  However, within days, this case file quickly became the #1 downloaded case file… getting more than 8,000 downloads in just the first couple of days it was online.

After a day or so, the actual photographer wrote to me to clear up some of the information being touted by the media. Shockingly… they were disseminating the WRONG story about what really happened.

Below, is an email interview I did with the actual photographer… who gave some more details and cleared up a few things.  This was our exchange (No corrections have been made.)

These are the words of Emadaldin Pichgah, the original photographer:

Can you explain in detail how you were made aware of this creature?

At 1030 (lt) – 11.07.2013 when our vessel was standby in Persian Gulf (South Pars Area) one of my friends, Capt. M. Nikkhah made contact with me by radio and inform me that they discovered the huge unknown Carcass that floated in water in their position. So i proceed toward their location and try to approached to this creature. the point was that the horrible smell spread as much as all crew sense that from approximately 200 m (may e more) from the carcass. when we approached to carcass we shot some photos and also inform the position and course and speed of carcass drift to the nearest Drilling Rig this Carcass at that moment drifted in 120 degrees – 1 knt speed. Also the length of this Carcass was approximately between 33 to 39 ft. After 1 hour we left area because of horrible smell.

How long have you been at sea? Have you ever seen anything like this before?

I am chief officer with around 6 years experience and during this sea time i have never seen some thing like that. How ever i’ve never work in Fishing vessels, because Fishing vessels crew are more experienced about these cases.

What did your shipmates think?

Unfortunately every one had his own opinion. Octopus! Huge Shark or desperate whale! but no body couldn’t prepare any evidence or strong reasons.

Why was this originally said to be captured by the Iranian Navy?  Did you release the story, or did the media steal the photos from your page?

Honestly, i don’t know! I am working in Supply Boat in Offshore Field. If you notice to photos you can realized that the type of vessel in frame is Supply Boat not a War Ship. First time i sent photos to tabnak.ir –

(http://www.tabnak.ir/fa/news/334013/%D9%86%DA%AF%D8%A7%D9%87-%D8%B4%D9%85%D8%A7-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%AC%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%B9%D8%AC%DB%8C%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%82%D9%87-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%BE%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B3-%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A8%DB%8C)

just to ask the website visitors to discover the nature of this creature but in flash of light the photos spread in media and social networks. so i blame no body to stole this photo from my page but except tabnak.ir and mamnak.com nobody mentioned the source of these photos and just copy that.

Have you ever seen a dead whale carcass in the sea? Did it look like this?

Alive Whale yes, even one time we touch accidentally with one of them but dead whale no.

What do you think this is?

My knowledge about the sea mammals and animals in general is poor so i have no idea about this Carcass. Also regarding the type of tidal current in Persian Gulf its a little hard to believe some things drift from Ocean into the Persian Gulf near the Qatar beach.

My special thanks to Emadaldin Pichgah for the interview, and allowing us all access to the original, raw and high resolution photographs.  They are available for download below.

High Resolution Photos

The following was published by the Huffington Post shortly after the photos began circulating.

Update 8/12/2013 from The Black Vault: Thanks to the more than 10,000 people that have visited this case file as the time of this update, another discovery made in 2011, also noted as a mysterious and unidentified carcass, washed up from the sea onto shore.  Photos of this look nearly identical to whatever this creature was.

Here is the original news story, dated March 24, 2011, from the Nassau Guardian news site.

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