The Shag Harbour UFO Incident

On the night of October 4, 1967, multiple witnesses along the coast of Nova Scotia observed a large, illuminated object descend from the sky and crash into the waters of Shag Harbour. The incident triggered a military response, an official investigation, and years of speculation. Unlike most UFO cases, the Shag Harbour incident generated official government documents acknowledging an unidentified object crashed into Canadian waters. It remains one of the most well-documented UFO events in history.

The Sighting

At approximately 11:20 PM on October 4, 1967, multiple witnesses observed unusual lights in the sky over Shag Harbour, a small fishing village on Nova Scotia’s southern coast. The lights—described as orange and flashing in sequence—moved across the sky before descending toward the water.

Among the witnesses were five teenagers parked near the shore. They watched as four or five lights, traveling at about 60 degrees to the horizon, descended and appeared to strike the water about half a mile offshore. There was a bright flash and then a sound like an explosion. The lights then began to float on the water’s surface.

Other witnesses included fishermen, residents, and a group on a nearby road. All described similar phenomena—a large, illuminated object entering the water. One witness reported seeing the object before it descended, noting it appeared to be approximately sixty feet in diameter.

Initial Response

The witnesses contacted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Officers arrived and observed yellow lights floating on the water, leaving a trail of dense yellowish foam. Initially, authorities assumed an aircraft had crashed.

The Canadian Coast Guard dispatched boats to the scene. RCMP officers and local fishermen took boats to the crash site. They found large patches of strange yellow foam floating on the water but no debris, no survivors, and no bodies. The foam was unlike anything the experienced fishermen had seen before.

A fishing vessel, moving through the foam, reported it was dense and slimy, coating the hull and equipment. Samples were taken but later lost before analysis could be completed.

Military Investigation

The Canadian Forces were notified. The next morning, a military diving vessel, HMCS Granby, arrived to conduct an underwater search. Navy divers searched the sea floor but found nothing—no wreckage, no aircraft, no bodies.

The search continued for three days. Despite extensive efforts, no physical evidence of a crashed aircraft was recovered. No aircraft were reported missing from Canadian or American inventories. Commercial and military radar had detected no aircraft in the area at the time of the incident.

Official Documentation

What distinguishes the Shag Harbour incident is the official documentation. The RCMP filed reports on the incident. The Canadian Forces conducted a formal investigation. The incident was reported through military channels and documented in official records.

A message from the Maritime Command labeled the event as involving an “unidentified flying object” (UFO)—a remarkable acknowledgment in official military communication. The documents confirm that something crashed into Shag Harbour and that the military investigated without determining what it was.

These documents were later released through freedom of information requests and form the basis for ongoing analysis of the case.

Government Conclusion

The official investigation concluded without explanation. The object was classified as “unknown.” No conventional explanation—aircraft crash, meteor, satellite debris, or military operation—fit the evidence.

The Canadian government did not claim the object was extraterrestrial but acknowledged they could not identify it. The case was closed without resolution, one of very few incidents where a government has officially documented an unexplained UFO event.

Later Investigations

In subsequent decades, researchers uncovered additional elements of the story. Military personnel who participated in the search have given interviews describing their experiences. Some claimed the search revealed more than was publicly reported.

One account, from a military diver, suggested that the object was tracked moving underwater from Shag Harbour toward Government Point, a facility reportedly involved in submarine detection. According to this account, a second object joined the first, and both eventually departed the area.

These claims cannot be verified but have added to the case’s mystique.

Physical Evidence

The yellow foam observed on the water remains unexplained. Witnesses described it as unlike any natural substance they had encountered. Unfortunately, samples were lost before laboratory analysis.

Some have speculated the foam was a byproduct of whatever crashed—perhaps residue from a propulsion system or a coolant. Others suggest it could have been ordinary sea foam that appeared unusual in the circumstances.

Without the samples, the foam’s composition cannot be determined.

Skeptical Analysis

Skeptics have proposed various explanations. A flare or distress signal dropped from an aircraft could explain the lights. Bioluminescent organisms might account for the floating glow. The witnesses, though numerous, were not trained observers.

However, these explanations struggle with the evidence. No aircraft was missing. The Coast Guard and RCMP who investigated were experienced maritime professionals. The military investigation, with its failure to identify any conventional object, undermines simple explanations.

Legacy

The Shag Harbour incident holds a unique place in UFO history. The official documentation, the military response, and the failure to identify the object make it one of the most credible UFO cases on record.

Today, Shag Harbour embraces its UFO heritage. A museum and interpretive center tell the story of the 1967 incident. An annual festival commemorates the event. The village has become a destination for UFO researchers and enthusiasts.

Whatever descended into the waters of Shag Harbour on that October night in 1967—whether extraterrestrial craft, secret military project, or something else—it left behind official acknowledgment that something unexplained occurred. That acknowledgment, rare in the history of UFO events, ensures the Shag Harbour incident will continue to be studied and discussed.