1984 · South-west Atlantic, about 53°45'S 64°37'W (east of Tierra del Fuego)
Kaiyo Maru: a wandering light off the Falklands
From Naganobu Mikio's 1988 account: five crew of the research ship Kaiyo Maru watched a yellow light near Orion dart about and return, 18 Dec 1984, east of Tierra del Fuego. · Illustration for uaptrail.com
When18 December 1984, 00:10–01:35 local
WhereSouth-west Atlantic, about 53°45'S 64°37'W (east of Tierra del Fuego)
Backing1 independent
Evidencedocuments
On 18 December 1984 the Japanese Fisheries Agency research ship Kaiyo Maru was in the south-west Atlantic east of Tierra del Fuego. From 00:10 to 01:35 five of the crew watched a yellow light, about as bright as a second-magnitude star, near Orion. It wandered, shot off in straight lines and came back about eight times at roughly ten-minute intervals. The ship's oceanographer, Naganobu Mikio, published the account in 1988.
Evidence, in date order (1)
- Sept 1988Naganobu Mikiodocumenta Fisheries Agency oceanographer who sailed on the ship published the account in Science (Nikkei Science), September 1988 Mikio Naganobu
How plausible · Moderate
Five crew of a government research ship, written up by a government oceanographer who sailed on it.
- ●●Access Crew on deck for 85 minutes.
- ●●No gain sought A science-magazine article.
- ●●Character record Fisheries Agency scientist.
- ●○Restraint Describes the light without claims.
- ●○Independent convergence Five crew together.
- ●○Checkable details check out Ship, date and position are specific.
Plausibility weighs how well an account fits where secrecy hides the documents by design, so missing records never count against it. Strength measures what is documented. Assessed 2026-10-23.
Claims
Five crew watched a yellow light of about second magnitude near Orion wander, then speed off in straight lines, reappearing about eight times at roughly 10-minute intervals.firsthandSourced, unconfirmedKaiyo Maru crew (one named only as Funato)
Argentine or U.S. electronic-warfare exercises. Natural cause proposed, not demonstrated (an anonymous forum claim).speculationLeadanonymous forum post
Where
South-west Atlantic, about 53°45'S 64°37'W (east of Tierra del Fuego)
53.8°S 64.6°W