Friday, August 29, 2014

Sky Beasts

Atmospheric_Beast_cryptid
  





 I rediscovered this conjecture several years ago as a response to sky falls of jelly like substances.  I went further and anticipated slime mold produced bubbles of methane to do the lifting.  It turns out that i am not alone in these speculations either.


There are three items here all showing up after my own speculations on this blog but showing antecedents as well.  I was operating with full cloth and direct evidence to hand needing explanation.


What is needed is high altitude balloon systems with human observers and a long dwell time.  We may see something.  I reasonably presume that any natural life-form must return to earth to multiply and that brings me back to our friendly slime mold and methane.

Earthquakes, Tsunamis, UFOs, and Sky Beasts

 
August 25, 2014
Brent Swancer
 http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2014/08/earthquakes-tsunamis-ufos-and-sky-beasts/ 
 
One of the more bizarre, little discussed, and “fringier” areas of cryptozoology involves the pursuit of various creatures said to inhabit not the remote forests or jungles of the world, but rather the skies above our head. We are not talking about flying dinosaurs, flying humanoids, Thunderbirds, or other winged weirdies. The creatures I am referring to are the strange creatures that drift about and prowl the skies for their entire lives, the phenomenon known as Atmospheric Beasts. Although these creatures have been covered here brilliantly at Mysterious Universe before, notably by Micah Hanks in this article and Rob Morphy in this one, it has long been an area that fascinates me and so I thought I would share one of my own ideas concerning the connections between these alleged creatures, UFO sightings, and earthquakes.

First, a refresher on what these creatures are. Atmospheric beasts, or atmospheric life-forms, as they are often called, are said to be organisms that live their entire lives floating high in the atmosphere, undetected by humans. These creatures are most often described as having bodies that are semi-solid, or almost insubstantial, with some reports even claiming that they are able to adjust their density from almost immaterial and invisible to more solid, depending on as yet unknown factors. Numerous theories have been posited as to how such seemingly fantastical organisms could manage to stay adrift in the air, such as air bladders or very low body densities.

The appearance of these atmospheric beasts varies wildly. Accounts have variously described them as amorphous and cloud-like behemoths, finned squid-like creatures, floating jellyfish, translucent, vaporous blobs, flitting rods, amoeba-like organisms, gelatinous oddities, and even dragons. The sizes of atmospheric beasts likewise run the gamut from tiny and bird-like, to gargantuan monsters hundreds of feet long. Although these enigmatic creatures are said to typically lurk too high in the atmosphere or to be too insubstantial to see with the naked eye, there are instances when one might become observable for some reason. Indeed, there has been a substantial amount of sightings reports over the years from all over the world describing unusual flying monsters that do not fit into the typical mold of thunderbirds or other flying cryptids. These atmospheric life forms have even allegedly been photographed, and there have been reports of the gelatinous remains of dead ones on occasion.

Over the years, the alleged existence of such atmospheric organisms has led to speculation that they may be connected somehow to the worldwide UFO phenomenon. It has been postulated that rather than having some artificial basis such as alien craft or experimental aircraft, large sky creatures could account for at least some reported UFO sightings. Even the lights reported in UFO sightings have been explained on occasion as the result of some sort of bioluminescence.

The idea of air-going organisms lying at the root of some UFO reports is odd and certainly controversial, but it is not new. The famed cryptozoologist Ivan T. Sanderson himself was fascinated by the idea of giant animals swimming through the air above us, and wrote a good deal about them. Among Sanderson’s various hypotheses and musings concerning atmospheric beasts was the notion that many UFO reports may be in fact attributable to these sky dwelling creatures. UFO author Trevor James Constable also noted in his 1975 book The Cosmic Pulse of Life, that the UFO phenomena may well be caused by the presence of some kind of goliath beasts inhabiting the skies.

If these atmospheric beasts do roam the skies of the world, and they are high up enough to have an entire ecosystem unknown and undetected by us, then it leaves one to question what could possibly be the reason why they are sometimes spotted by humans in the form of UFOs and other airborne anomalies. Some of the beasts have been said to descend for the purpose of feeding on earthbound creatures, but I have always been wary of this theory, as I wonder why a creature adapted to a food chain based in the upper atmosphere would have a need for terrestrial animals to subsist on. Would they even have the physiology required to digest such prey? Would they be able to pick up such animals and whisk them away up into the clouds? Remember we are talking about light, amorphous, airy creatures that presumably spend the entirety of their lives drifting along the air currents. These are most likely organisms of the very high atmosphere. I have always had the notion that such a life-form drifting so low away from its normal habitat so high in the sky would be akin to some creature from the deep, dark sea being dragged from its abyssal lair to the surface, and thus would likely be either dead, injured, or disoriented. So what causes these atmospheric creatures to come down to earth so to speak?

The UFO author Trevor James, in addition to outlining his ideas on the connection between the air beasts and the UFO phenomenon, also added the fascinating hypothesis that 20th century radar might disturb such creatures, causing them to become more solid and visible to the naked eye, or to drop down to lower altitudes where they would be more readily sighted.

This bit of speculation leads to the interesting notion that these creatures, if they do indeed exist, may perhaps use some sort of navigation system to maintain their bearings and find their way. This in and of itself is not so farfetched. We know that many animals, especially those that regularly migrate, use various biological systems to navigate and home in on their destinations. We also know that these systems can be disrupted by either natural or artificial means. Artificial lighting is well known to cause disorientation in a variety of migrating animals such as sea turtles and birds, sonar can have effects on whales, and radar has been shown to somehow throw off the navigational abilities of certain birds as well, perhaps because it disrupts their innate magnetic compass. Since known animals can certainly have their instinctual navigational abilities disrupted, then it is certainly plausible that the proposed atmospheric organisms could suffer similar pitfalls.

If atmospheric beasts do indeed use such biological systems to navigate and maintain their orientation and bearings, then this offers a compelling clue to one potential reason for these creatures to drop lower in the atmosphere and also a potential connection with some UFOs under certain conditions. A curious trend that seems to be fairly consistent is the increase in reported UFO activity just before or after major earthquakes. I had never really given this much thought before, but I actually currently live in Japan and I was present during the 2011 earthquake here. One thing I noticed in various Japanese Fortean articles, UFO publications, and indeed sometimes even in major newspapers was the undeniable rise in the number of sightings of UFOs and strange phenomena in the skies just prior to, during, and after the earthquake. This piqued my interest, and after further investigation, I found that spikes in UFO activity were indeed consistently reported before and during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami of Japan, the Sumatran earthquake and tsunami of 2004, the Haitian earthquake of 2010, and the Philippine earthquake of 2013. This seems to imply some possible connection between the seismic activity and the UFOs that could, at least in the case of earthquakes, possibly have a cryptozoological basis in the form of the hypothetical atmospheric organisms.

When an large earthquake occurs, there is more going on than just the shaking of the ground or the creation of tsunamis. During earthquakes, an enormous amount of surface motion is generated, which is released as powerful waves into the atmosphere. Known as seismotravelling ionospheric disturbances, these waves can penetrate all the way up into the highest parts of the atmosphere, known as the ionosphere. All earthquakes produce these disturbances to some degree, but in the case of very major earthquakes these can be quite profound. The March 11, 2011 earthquake In Japan in particular produced one of the most massive such atmospheric disturbances ever recorded. It created waves of large amounts of electrically charged particles travelling 720 to 800 kph (450 to 500 mph) that reached up to around 350km (220 miles) above the Earth. Japanese research showed that the March 11 disturbance was three times more powerful than the next largest such disturbance, that of the 2004 Sumatran earthquake.

Devastation in the wake of the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

One effect of these disturbances is their ability to disrupt radio and other signals, which is in fact one of the ways scientists use to measure them. If atmospheric beasts do exist high above us, and if in fact they do use some sort of navigation system that can be disrupted by things such as radar, then what might such a large, earthquake-induced atmospheric disturbance do to them? Is it not at least feasible that these powerful waves could be disorienting some kind of atmospheric lifeforms and dislodging them from their usual unseen habitat high above us so that they are visible to the human eye and subsequently reported as UFOs? It seems that it is at least as plausible a possibility as other explanations such as alien spacecraft, at least in the case of UFO sightings reported before, during, and just after major seismic events.

Of course this is all just an exercise in speculation. Are atmospheric beasts even real? Who knows? There is no solid evidence that such organisms even exist at all. If they are real, these creatures would not exist in a vacuum. There would need to be a whole ecosystem in place high up in the sky, perhaps based on some type of air plankton, which incidentally considering the recent bizarre discovery of sea plankton surviving on the outside of the International Space Station technically does not seem as far fetched as it perhaps once was. Maybe a whole food chain is in place in the upper atmosphere based on some sort of plankton evolved to live up there. Nevertheless, it is certainly a rather far out notion to think there could be a whole new biome of undiscovered organisms existing undetected high above us, but then again it seems worth considering that we never thought it was possible for life, let alone whole ecosystems, to exist in extreme environments such as deep sea thermal vent communities either.

Whether these sky beats are real or not, and as unlikely as it may be, I find it interesting to look at these phenomena and think of such alternative explanations for UFO sightings occurring around major seismic events such as earthquakes.


Airborne Anomalies: Rethinking Atmospheric Lifeforms

February 10, 2011
Micah Hanks
 
http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2011/02/airborne-anomalies-rethinking-atmospheric-lifeforms/
 
Most people, when considering the possibilities as to what UFOs might actually be, tend to lean heavily toward the idea of advanced aircraft that are both intelligently designed and controlled. Many reports do indeed appear to indicate that the objects seen appear mechanical or otherwise “manufactured,” although there are also the occasional reports of rather amorphous “blobs” that seem to have little definite shape or form. Though the range of potentials for how an alien technology might appear to us remains very broad, perhaps there are other possible identities we could attribute to at least some UFO reports.

One unique (though perhaps unlikely) theory proposed a number of times over the years deals with the idea of “atmospheric lifeforms,” as proposed by the likes of Charles Fort, Trevor James Constable, and Ivan Sanderson, among others. Essentially, this approach to various reports of UFOs supposes that some of the sightings might describe strange, atmospheric “beasts” that are essentially self-contained, energetic creatures.

Though the multitude of encounters detailing a more technological origin for UFO craft seems to leave little room for any credence to such ideas as “atmospheric beasts,” perhaps engaging in a sort of “though game” with the subject could provide  insights or some merit, by virtue of considering airborne anomalies from a less conventional perspective.

Generally, the idea of an atmospheric beast in the present context would involve a creature which either weighs less than air in a given atmosphere, or which may be capable of flying by some other means of wingless propulsion. With regard to research into the unexplained, one of the pioneering ufologists to take this approach with the study of unidentified flying craft was Trevor James Constable, a writer and researcher who outlined his ideas in the 1975 book The Cosmic Pulse of Life (somewhat sadly, I interviewed Constable a few years ago, and upon mentioning that I had obtained a copy of this book, he joked with me, “so you were the one who bought a copy!”) Constable’s idea of “critters” (photographs of which can be seen by clicking here) dealt with amoeba-like creatures that existed in Earth’s upper atmosphere, and which occasionally fed on livestock and other creatures, hence seeking to explain some reports of animal mutilations that occur in conjunction with UFO sightings.

As strange as such an idea may sound at first, even Carl Sagan had discussed balloon-like aliens that might be capable of existing in the atmospheres of distant gas giants the likes of Jupiter. Popular fiction writers like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Ray Bradbury have dealt with such creatures as well, but since the majority of these sources for the lore surrounding jellyfish-like or amoebic creatures drifting around in the sky stems from either fiction or speculative science, many would argue that more fringe notions of the existence of such creatures were actually inspired by such works.

Nonetheless, during a conversation with a fellow researcher I had a few years ago, he divulged that during a conversation with a NASA astronaut who had worked with the space program years ago (who also asked to remain anonymous), his contact mentioned projects where he and others had observed strange “energetic forms” while monitoring spacewalks using visual apparatus that heightened visibility in the infrared range. Though my contact said the astronaut would not refer to the objects as “UFOs”, he did mention that questions had arisen over whether they might be some form of energetic life. Furthermore, studies performed by NASA have also suggested the notion that plasma-based lifeforms might even come to exist in the vacuum of space.

If indeed “energetic life” were to exist, and if reports of glowing, amorphous blob-like UFOs were indicative of their presence, what might allow these creatures to produce such self-maintained illumination? Also, if they were consumers (as Constable proposed), it would have to stand to reason that they also produced waste. If not doing so in the conventional biological sense, could they perhaps do so through the release of heat or radiation? Radiation sickness is a common side effect afflicting those who have encountered a UFO, especially those which appear to be craft of intelligent design. It would be interesting to consider whether similar circumstances surrounded people’s encounters with the less-tangible varieties of UFOs, also.

Again, while the supposition that UFO reports could be attributed to amorphous atmospheric beasts is unlikely at best, sometimes considering outlandish alternatives allows us to free our minds up to thinking in less conventional ways, also, and potentially even coming to unique realizations that contrast otherwise widely accepted views on certain phenomenon. What are your thoughts about atmospheric life, and could such species exist in places around the globe… or even in other parts of the universe?


Atmospheric Monsters Attack!



July 13, 2011
Rob Morphy
 
 http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2011/07/atmospheric-monsters-attack/
 
Atmospheric monsters are bizarre and seemingly impossible creatures. These sky-bound beasts soar silently above the human race, defying the conventional laws of physics, and their origins and intentions remain one of the most perplexing and fascinating mysteries in the realms of both ufology and cryptozoology.

Most intelligent individuals would readily concede that the oceans of Earth have yet to reveal even close to all of the mysterious beasts that dwell in their vast depths. Some scientists have suggested that there are nearly a million undiscovered species lurking in the briny deep, while others insist that the number is a good deal higher. But while scientists have no problem accepting that the seas are chock full of as yet unidentified life-forms, they reject the idea that the ocean of air above our heads might be just as full of unique and currently unclassified species.

Current scientific figures state that our atmosphere extends approximately 621-miles above the planet’s surface. According to the mathematics done by minds far in advance of my own, the volume of Earth’s atmosphere in cubic miles is, and I quote: “142,782,184,457.44 depending on whose number you go with for the ‘thickness’ of the atmosphere.”

Now let’s take this frankly overwhelming figure and compare it to the square miles of water said to be on the big blue orb we call home. Again, according to mathematicians whose work I can only accept at face value, we’re dealing with the not insubstantial sum of 139,668,500 square miles. Even as non-numerical a mind as the one I possess can see that the difference is tremendous. So if we are to concede that the ocean harbors scads of unknown life-forms how can we ignore the same potential in the vastly more expansive heavens above?

Okay, unofficial math lesson over. First off I want to acknowledge that my esteemed colleague here at Mysterious Universe, Micah Hanks, already broached this fascinating topic in his article “Airborne Anomalies: Rethinking Atmospheric Lifeforms,” which is a great read. Still, as informative as that is, I found this subject so captivating that I had to take a crack at it, so forgive the pinch of redundancy. Now let’s get on to the fun stuff, such as — what the heck is it that might be living above us?

So-called atmospheric monsters have been with humanity for centuries. Descriptions range from vaporous, cloud-like beings to “air whales” and “air krakens” to translucent, floating jellyfish that dip in and out of clouds with no visible means of aerodynamic propulsion. There are also the oft debunked, multi-winged “rods” or “skyfish” and airborne man eating super-amoebas and even one-eyed, flipper bearing, headless dragons.

Some are said to be gargantuan beasts, which have been incorrectly identified as flying saucers and others are so small and swift that they can barely be perceived on video freeze frames, much less with the human eye. It has also been suggested that — much like animals that dwell in the pressurized depths of the deepest ocean trenches — many of these atmospheric animals are unable to survive on the surface of the Earth.

Some even believe that the gelatinous “star jelly” so often found following meteor showers may well be the decaying remains of these ostensibly invertebrate beasts. Perhaps falling stars and other earthbound debris strike these creatures in mid-flight, tearing them apart with the force of their impact and sending them hurtling to the ground in as yet unidentifiable hunks.

Origin also remains a point of contention between supporters of the existence of atmospheric monsters; that is, whether or not they we are dealing with alien entities of unknown extraction or creatures that are indigenous to Earth. Most supporters believe that wherever these beasts come from they are non-sentient animals that live their sky-bound lives reliant on instinct rather than intellect. But, of course, they could be wrong.

Famed author and paranormal investigator, Ivan T. Sanderson, was so enamored with the idea of these sky beasts that he mentioned the theory in several books. He even speculated that numerous UFO accounts might actually represent “extremely low density animals native to the clouds.”

Sanderson was not alone in his belief in atmospheric animals. Even celebrated cosmologist Carl Sagan got into the act when he proposed that some kind of astrobiological, balloon-like beast might be soaring through the skies of massive gas giants such as Jupiter, though it is doubtful that he ever speculated that one or more of these creatures may have found their way to Earth.

In 1975, pioneering UFO author, Trevor James Constable, proposed in his book “The Cosmic Pulse of Life” that the flying saucer phenomenon was likely not an example of extraterrestrial technology, but of colossal amoeba-like creatures that dwell in the Earth’s atmosphere. He colloquially dubbed these theoretical animals “critters.”

Constable further proposed that these atmospheric monsters spent most of their time in a virtually invisible low-density state, but when they increased their density (possibly while in search of sustenance) these odd life-forms became visible. He also believed that the use of radar devices in the 20th Century somehow disturbed these sky beasts, forcing them from their usually concealed state into a more perceptible one.

As if that weren’t enough, Constable then went on to suggest the literally horrifying premise that these “critters” were not only carnivorous, but that they were likely responsible for the plethora of inexplicable animal mutilations as well as the scores of human beings who are reported missing every year. It goes without saying that the thought of huge, voracious, virtually undetectable predators that can descend from the sky in a flash to claim their unwary victims is not a comforting one.

Perhaps it was Constable’s alarming theory that inspired Japan’s Toho Studios to produce “Dogora, the Space Monster.” Dogora, a massive, floating jellyfish-like creature that hovered over Japan scooping up its terrified victims with long, whipping tendrils, was brought to life by renowned Godzilla collaborators director Ishirō Honda and special-effects wizard Eiji Tsuburaya in 1964, and may well be the best cinematic articulation of an atmospheric monster ever created.

While Dogora is well known to cult and kaiju film enthusiasts, arguably the most celebrated real life encounter involving an alleged atmospheric monster hailed from Crawfordsville, Indiana. According to the account published in the September 5th, 1891 edition of the Indianapolis Journal, at about 2 am. on September 4th, two men were repairing a wagon when they looked skyward and were shocked to see what they described as a “horrible apparition” soaring above them.

The men asserted that the multi-finned, rectangular, headless creature “swam” no less than 100-feet above them and they gauged its size to be approximately 8-feet wide and 20-feet in length. The men would later confirm to reporters that the beast was definitely animate.

The men watched in horror as the creature propelled itself through the heavens with its numerous fins and even circled above a nearby home. The monster then vanished as it traveled eastward, only to reappear moments later. This was about all the eyewitnesses could take and the men chose this moment to abandon their repairs and flee for their lives.

This utterly bizarre creature would be easy enough to dismiss as a drunken hallucination or an outright hoax were it not for the corroboration of another eyewitness with an impeccable reputation. The witness in question was one Reverend G. W. Switzer, a local Methodist pastor who, along with his wife, also claimed to see the sky beast.

As if that weren’t enough, the following night the thing returned, but this time it did not just show itself to a handful of stranded observers.

According to reports published by the Indianapolis Journal, hundreds of witnesses testified that they watched the anomalous airborne entity fiercely flapping in the night sky.

Observers described an identical beast to the one seen the night before, but this time they noticed a cycloptic, flaming red “eye.” They also noted that the writhing beast emitted a “wheezing, plaintive noise” and “squirmed in agony.”


[ obviously sick and dying with no recognizable evidence after its demise - arclein ]

The Crawfordsville creature undulated above the throngs of awed onlookers at a height of about 300-feet, until it abruptly plummeted earthward toward a group of spectators. Those who narrowly avoided the apparent attack of this beast swore they could feel its “hot breath” as it rushed past them.

Early paranormal chronicler and author, Charles Fort, was convinced that there was no Rev. G.W. Switzer and that the entire event was a hoax, but once he looked into the matter he was shocked to discover that the pastor not only existed, but he confirmed his previous testimony to be true.

Reporter Vincent Gaddis picked up the story from there and after interviewing dozens of eyewitnesses involved with this mass sighting he wrote that: “All the reports refer to this object as a living thing.”

Another breed of atmospheric monster is said to hail from the tiny islands off Scotland’s Shetland archipelago. The Shetland Islands are a remote and mist shrouded locale about 50-miles northeast of Orkney and it should come as no surprise to any student of the unknown that they are known to harbor a monster, but unlike the famed lake beasties of the Scottish highlands, the thing that the islanders know only as “it” is quite unlike any other creature on Earth.

The locals matter-of-factly believe this vaporous varmint is merely a “cloud animal” that dwells in the skies above and for reason unknown occasionally makes the long journey to Terra Firma. Those who have come into contact with this organism have met with no harm and report the physical sensation is akin to being licked by an “enormously soft tongue.” While that effect may not be fatal, it certainly is distasteful.

One incident reported by a policeman details a run-in with this (or a similar) entity that occurred while the officer was bicycling on his patrol route. The lawman claimed that “it” enveloped him creating the sensation of being wrapped in a “soft blanket” that smelled of “mildew.” The being, which the officer was convinced was alive, swiftly soared away, but the shaken officer claimed that it had been one of the most terrifying experiences of his entire life.
PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE:
Since the dawn of photography there have been scores of photos of alleged UFOs, but there are dozens that do not seem to have the classic earmarks of a machine tooled vehicle or surveillance device. These anomalous objects seem to have strange, almost organic shapes and move in ways that seem counterintuitive for a technologically based flying craft.

One of the most intriguing anomalous UFO photographs — which may well represent an atmospheric monster — was taken by scientific journalist Bruno Ghibaudi on the afternoon of April 27th, 1961.

On the day in question Ghibaudi was driving along the highway that ran adjacent to Montesilvano beach in Italy when he blew a tire.

Ghibaudi immediately pulled over and began changing his flat. The job was proceeding smoothly when he noticed a bizarre, multi-winged, or possibly finned, “object” soaring over the ocean at a low altitude. The strange craft was heading directly toward him at an incredible velocity, but, much to his credit, Ghibaudi did not panic. Instead he reached into his car and retrieved his camera.

As the odd object passed overhead it slowed and made a sharp, northward turn. Ghibaudi managed to snap a single photo of the UFO before it accelerated out of sight.

While some claim that the image shows an interstellar vehicle, there are others who believe that it is actually a living creature.

This next picture was also allegedly taken in Italy. While there’s not a lot of information surrounding this image, its uniqueness warranted its inclusion in this article. According to online accounts, thisphoto was snapped in the middle of the day sometime in July of 1999, by an unnamed Italian Dentist.

Supposedly the object — which looks kind of like a stubby tentacled squid — was reportedly silent, exceedingly large and soaring at a incredibly high altitude and rate of speed.

Some of the witnesses claimed that the UFO had lights along the base. Were these artificial lights or an example of bioluminescence? Perhaps we’ll never know.

The next case involves a photographer from New Zealand named Michael White who was shooting pictures of the sky when he noticed what he described as a “strange looking dark cloud.” Apparently the cloud remained immobile for the better part of half an hour when it suddenly disappeared.

White had managed to snap multiple photographs of the cloud, but it wasn’t until he later developed the images that he realized how unique this entity was. In the photo he discovered a mysterious object that resembled a sort of rippling, possibly organic, manta ray-like object.

The most intriguing part of White’s story is that he claimed that he did not notice the “object” when he took the picture. White insisted that all he saw was a “cloud” that he described as being “fibrous” and “peculiar looking.” He even went so far as to state that he believed the weird cloud could “sense” that it was being filmed and vanished as a result.

Does this imply that this fibrous cloud-like shape was merely camouflage for a potentially sentient being? If this happens to be the case, then that gives rise to the supposition that strange, undulating entities may be constantly cruising overhead and all our human eyes perceive are plain, old, ordinary clouds. If that is true, then our world is a mysterious place indeed.

On the afternoon of November 3rd, 1973, A Mexican banker and his family spied a strange object rocketing in a westerly direction over Cocoyoc, Mexico. The banker’s wife claimed that the object was roundish and did not resemble any traditional aircraft that she knew of.

The banker stopped his car for a better look at the unusual object. He and his wife quickly exited the vehicle and watched as the UFO blazed across the brilliant blue sky.

Thankfully, the banker had the presence of mind to grab his camera and he managed to shoot a photo of the “craft” before it shot out of view. Is this some weird sky anemone or merely a very strange balloon caught in the wind?

Finally, in 1963, in the Northcliff region of Johannesburg, South Africa, a real estate agent was taking pictures of available houses for a local newspaper advertisement when she captured an image of a truly unique UFO. The object resembles what seems to be an odd cellular structure. Perhaps this is a picture of one of Constable’s “critters” or maybe it’s something else all together.

The above cases represent merely a handful of the accounts and photographs of what might well be atmospheric monsters. But as many images as may be out there, the general consensus remains that these animals can not only modify their size and density, seemingly at will, but also employ a unique and extremely effective form of camouflage to conceal themselves. This means that if these creatures really do exist, there may be thousands, if not millions, floating above each of us at this very moment and we’d never even realize it.

Perhaps these speculations are nothing more than flights of fancy, pun sadly intended, but if they prove to be genuine then it means that scientists have barely scraped the surface of the fauna that lives below… and above… our world.