The Cote Photo: An Official, Fifty-Year UFO Image and the Shift Toward Sharing Long-Held Encounters

To the point

The Cote Photo is an official, well-documented UFO image captured fifty years ago on a government mapping flight, framed as an early, influential touchstone in the evolving UFO/UAP conversation and paired with a mission to collect and share firsthand stories, with a high-resolution scan available for closer inspection.

1971 Lake Cote UFO photo
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1971 Lake Cote UFO photo

In 1971, cartographer Sergio Loaiza was commissioned by the Costa Rican government to conduct an aerial mapping expedition. During one fleeting moment in flight, he unknowingly captured what many consider to be the world’s most compelling photograph of a UFO/UAP.