Several years ago, I started a job that required me to spend the first two months in a small town near Volcan Arenal. It was November, and the days were misty and cloud-covered. Outside of the town, there were intriguing signs pointing to a mysterious lake where there had once been a UFO sighting. The sign read: Cote Lake/Alien Zone.
The lake is known as Lago Cote. Though small, it is the largest freshwater lake in the country. On a morning hike, I followed the signs and walked the roughly 2 kilometers down a gravel road to the lake. Along the way, I passed a farm that appeared to be in use, though the only sign of life was a scruffy dog barking at me from the edge of the road. Otherwise, the area felt desolate, highlighted by a weathered sign advertising a long-abandoned attempt at developing lakefront lots.
The photo referenced here was taken in September 1971 from an airplane flying at around 3,000 meters (10,000 feet). The plane was operated by the Instituto Geografico Nacional (IGM) as part of an aerial land survey for the hydroelectric project that later became the man-made Lake Arenal and dam. Photos were taken at 13-second intervals.
Later, when examining the negatives, one image showed what appeared to be a metallic disc—a flying saucer—hovering over the lake. The photo was taken by a man named Sergio Loaiza, using a 100-pound German-made camera designed for aerial map-making. Loaiza later revealed that after the photo was developed, he and his two coworkers—the pilot and navigator on the plane—were forbidden from discussing the photo publicly.
Despite this, the photo eventually circulated. The clarity and quality of the photo, and the fact that the disc appeared vividly and only once in the sequence, made it a subject of fascination among ufologists. There is debate among them on whether it was indeed a UFO. Another category, called USO (Unidentified Submersible Object), has been in existence nearly as long.
Stories abound of USO sightings: unknown objects encountered by people (and the military) that demonstrate transmedia capability, traveling hundreds of miles per hour into, under, and over water. Navy submariners often refer to these craft as “fast movers.” As with UFO sightings, many that lack a clear explanation are often stifled by the government before reaching the public. For every skeptic, there is a believer demanding that all confidential files be released.
UFO or USO? On the day of my hike, although drawn in by the signs, I was unaware of the photo’s existence. The lake sat low, within a crater. Looking around the forested edge, I saw no signs of life. The clouds hung low and ominous. A slight breeze blew, rippling the lake. I called out a hello across the lake and felt relieved when no one answered.
I had read that the Maleku, an indigenous tribe, considered the lake sacred, perhaps due to its absolute solitude. It was also eerie—the kind of place where one might imagine a killer bringing a victim to be disappeared forever. Or perhaps, a place where an alien culture might choose to make contact.
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Don Mateo
