Written by Sam Orlando
A witness in Virginia Beach reported seeing a strange object in the sky that resembled a cloud-like, sphere-shaped balloon, according to the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC). The sighting occurred on March 10, 2022, around 1 p.m., and lasted for several minutes until the object vanished without a trace. The witness initially thought the object was a natural phenomenon but later realized that it looked similar to images captured by Navy pilots near the area.
The incident was reported to NUFORC on July 1, 2022, and was included in the center's database of UFO sightings. Virginia Beach, a coastal city with a population of almost half a million, has a history of UFO reports, ranging from lights in the sky to structured craft, according to various sources.
One of the earliest cases documented by NUFORC was filed by a witness in Alexandria who claimed to have seen a saucer-shaped object with a spinning top in June 1964. The witness, who was a child at the time, reported that the object was silver and had colored lights that resembled a child's toy. The witness and a cousin ran to tell their parents who were in a nearby garage, and the object moved away in a dipping, jerky motion before disappearing.
While the Alexandria case remains unexplained, it is one of the many examples of UFO sightings reported in Virginia over the years. According to the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), Virginia ranked 17th in U.S. UFO sightings for January 2023, with nine cases filed. California had the highest number of reports, with 62 cases, followed by Florida and Texas.
MUFON encourages witnesses to report any unusual sightings to their website, where they can fill out a detailed form and provide evidence such as photos or videos. NUFORC also accepts anonymous reports and offers a searchable database of sightings that date back several decades.
As the scientific community continues to debate the nature and origin of UFOs, many witnesses hope that their experiences will be taken seriously and investigated with an open mind. While some sightings may have natural or man-made explanations, others remain a mystery, raising questions about the limits of human perception and the possibility of extraterrestrial life.