The Canary Islands UFO

On June 22, 1976, thousands of residents across the Canary Islands observed a massive luminous sphere in the sky. A Spanish Navy corvette’s crew tracked the phenomenon for 40 minutes, and some witnesses reported seeing humanoid figures inside a transparent craft. The Spanish Air Force’s subsequent investigation became one of the most detailed official UFO documentations in European history.

The Main Sighting

At approximately 9:27 PM, residents across the islands of Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and La Palma began observing an enormous, bright sphere rising from the sea or emerging from behind the landscape.

The object was described as:

• Enormous spherical craft (estimated hundreds of meters across)
• Brilliant bluish-white light
• Self-luminous
• Surrounded by a halo or corona
• Ascending slowly

The Corvette Sighting

The Spanish Navy corvette Atrevida was on patrol near the island of Fuerteventura when the crew observed the phenomenon. They tracked it for approximately 40 minutes.

Captain Alberto Pagador filed an official report describing:

• A brilliant, yellowish-blue light emerging from below the horizon
• The light expanded into an enormous luminous sphere
• A beam of light extended from the craft
• The object eventually departed at high speed

The Doctor’s Encounter

The most dramatic witness account came from Dr. Francisco Julio Padrón León, who was making a house call on Gran Canaria that evening.

As his taxi approached the village of Las Rosas, both he and the driver observed a luminous sphere hovering near a row of plants. The sphere was transparent, and Dr. Padrón distinctly saw:

• Two tall humanoid figures inside
• The figures appeared to be working controls
• They wore red suits or clothing
• They were visible from the waist up

As the taxi stopped, the sphere began rising and accelerating, eventually departing at tremendous speed.

Mass Witnesses

Across the three islands, thousands of people observed the phenomenon:

• Police officers
• Military personnel
• Medical professionals
• Ordinary citizens

The widespread observations from separated locations confirmed the event’s physical reality.

Spanish Air Force Investigation

The Spanish Air Force conducted a thorough investigation (Expediente 760622), interviewing over 100 witnesses. Their report included:

• Detailed witness statements
• Maps of sighting locations
• Timeline of observations
• Analysis of possible explanations

The investigation could not identify the object as any known aircraft, missile, or natural phenomenon. The files were declassified in the 1990s.

Possible Explanations

Missile Launch: Some suggested a submarine-launched missile test. However, the description of a transparent sphere with visible occupants contradicts this theory.

Natural Phenomenon: Atmospheric phenomena were considered but couldn’t explain the consistent descriptions across locations.

Genuine UFO: The investigation’s conclusion—that the phenomenon could not be explained conventionally—left open the possibility of unknown technology.

Legacy

The Canary Islands case is significant for:

• Thousands of witnesses across multiple islands
• Official military observers (naval corvette)
• Detailed Air Force investigation
• Humanoid occupants reportedly observed
• Declassified government documentation

The case demonstrates that mass sightings with military involvement can receive serious official investigation, and that the resulting documentation, when released, provides valuable historical evidence for researchers.

Spain’s relatively transparent approach to UFO documentation has made cases like this available for study, contributing to global understanding of the phenomenon.