Mysterious Times Weekly Roundup W/E 20/05/26

The strange skies have been busy again this week. Between freshly released Pentagon UFO files, reports of mysterious underwater objects off the American coastline, and another surge in crop circle chatter across Britain, the week ending 20 May 2026 has offered plenty of fuel for late night conversations around the campfire.

As always in the world of the unexplained, some stories sit closer to documented fact while others drift into the realms of speculation and folklore. Either way, the boundary between mystery and modern news continues to blur in fascinating ways.

The biggest talking point this week has undoubtedly been the continuing release of declassified American UAP files through the newly launched PURSUE archive. The release, which began on 8 May, includes military footage, FBI files, NASA mission records and historical reports stretching back to the 1940s. Several outlets highlighted photographs connected to the Apollo missions, including strange lights captured during Apollo 17.

Officials stressed that the files do not confirm extraterrestrial life, though many incidents remain officially “unresolved”. ([Sky News][1])

Some of the more intriguing cases include reports of glowing objects making impossible turns over Kazakhstan, military infrared footage from the Middle East, and witness testimony involving luminous spheres over American military facilities. Researchers and sceptics alike have been combing through the material all week, arguing over whether the release represents genuine transparency or simply another carefully controlled data dump. ([Phys.org][2])

Meanwhile, attention has also turned beneath the waves. Reports circulating this week claimed that more than 9,000 unidentified submersible object sightings have been logged near United States coastlines since late 2025.

The reports, compiled through the Enigma sightings database, include accounts of fast moving objects entering and exiting the water, glowing shapes beneath the ocean surface, and apparent “transmedium” craft capable of moving between sea and sky. Retired military officials quoted in the reports expressed concern that at least some of the phenomena may represent unknown technology operating in restricted waters. ([New York Post][3])

Back here in Britain, crop circle season is beginning to stir once more. UFO and anomaly tracking websites have reported an uptick in discussions surrounding unusual formations and strange aerial sightings across southern England.

While no major verified formations have yet dominated headlines, enthusiasts are already watching Wiltshire and Hampshire closely as warmer weather and clearer night skies return. ([Aliens Digest][4])

Elsewhere in the world of oddity and high strangeness, lunar lore unexpectedly entered academic discussion this week through a paper examining Indigenous spiritual objections to commercial activity on the Moon.

While not paranormal in the traditional sense, the debate touches upon something deeply familiar within folklore studies: the idea that celestial bodies are not merely rocks in space, but sacred entities bound to myth, memory and identity. The paper references objections from Native American communities to the scattering of human remains on the Moon and questions how future lunar exploitation may collide with ancient beliefs. ([arXiv][5])

Online UFO communities have also been buzzing over fresh witness submissions involving jellyfish-like aerial anomalies, luminous domes and strange patterned lights appearing in American skies.

As ever, eyewitness testimony remains deeply subjective, but the sheer volume of reports continues to fascinate researchers who track patterns in modern folklore and anomalous experience. ([UFO Stalker][6])

Whether these stories ultimately prove to be misunderstood technology, psychological projection, elaborate hoaxes or something genuinely unknown, they continue to reveal an enduring truth about humanity.

We are still looking upward.

We are still searching dark waters and lonely fields for signs and symbols.

And perhaps most telling of all, we are still telling stories about the things we cannot quite explain.

Further reading and sources:

• [Sky News coverage of the Pentagon UFO files](https://news.sky.com/story/never-before-seen-files-on-ufos-released-by-pentagon-13541565)

• [ABC News report on the UAP archive release](https://abcnews.com/Politics/pentagon-begins-release-decades-unresolved-ufo-files/story?id=132780534)

• [EarthSky analysis of the newly released UAP records](https://earthsky.org/human-world/pentagon-ufo-files-uap-views-from-moon-nasa/)

• [New York Post report on underwater UFO sightings](https://nypost.com/2026/05/14/us-news/ufo-tracker-app-spots-thousands-of-mysterious-underwater-objects-off-us-shores/)

• [UFO Files Watch archive tracker](https://ufofileswatch.com/)

• [UFO Stalker sightings database](https://ufostalker.com/)

[1]: https://news.sky.com/story/never-before-seen-files-on-ufos-released-by-pentagon-13541565 “‘Never-before-seen’ files on UFOs released by Pentagon | US News | Sky News”

[2]: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-flying-discs-orbs-newly-pentagon.html”From flying discs to glowing orbs, these newly opened Pentagon files point somewhere stranger than expected”

[3]: https://nypost.com/2026/05/14/us-news/ufo-tracker-app-spots-thousands-of-mysterious-underwater-objects-off-us-shores/ “Thousands of mysterious underwater UFOs spotted off US shores: report”

[4]: https://aliensdigest.com/ “Aliens Digest – Latest UFO Sightings & UAP Disclosure News”

[5]: https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.17706 “‘Unacceptable to our people’: Diverse cultural beliefs, Indigenous rights, and the future of human activities on the Moon”

[6]: https://ufostalker.com/ “UFO Stalker | Real-Time UFO Sightings Map | Latest Reports, Photos, and Videos”

Copyright © 2026 Mysterious Times / Kirst Mason D’Raven. All rights reserved.

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A bouquet of interesting news for 11 Jan 2024

Hi everyone, even though it’s dreary winter where I am, I gathered a bouquet of interesting weird news bits to share.

But before I get started, a quick note on subscriptions. I have consolidated subscription lists from the old version of this WordPress site, my Spooky Geology site, and my now-ended Substack newsletter. I did my best to remove duplicates, but if you were a subscriber to more than one of those, you may receive a duplicate notice of posting here. Please feel free to discontinue one of the subs. I really appreciate it if you can continue receiving notifications, even if you don’t read every post. It’s important to keep in contact. These days, social media is fractured. I believe the best answer is to set up your named site and reach out from there. So that’s what I’ve done. I’d love for you to reach out directly if you have any comments or questions. Now onto some juicy stuff…

While it’s not for everyone, I like browsing the site for Outdoor Life magazine. (Trigger warning if you click: Dead animals.) I previously had chats with one writer there, and they cover not just hunting and guns (which I don’t find pleasant), but some conservation topics as well. I found an interesting trio of stories there when I checked today.

Arizona jaguar spotted

First, this is exciting, a new jaguar was spotted on a trail cam in Arizona. Jason Miller had been maintaining wildlife cameras north of the Mexican border with the hope of catching an endangered jaguar on film. On 20 Dec 2023, he did it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6tNTKwMUAc

Five officials from the Arizona Game and Fish Department examined the footage and, judging by the spot pattern, confirmed that the jaguar is an individual they have not seen before. Since 1996, when the species was classified as endangered, this is only the 8th individual animal documented in the U.S. The Mexico state of Sonora has about 200 jaguars in a breeding population. It’s important for all wildlife enthusiasts to consider that border walls severely impact wildlife. A wildfire last summer in a nature preserve killed many wild animals in Texas when they were unable to escape.

Megalodon tooth found in deep water

Another great find was in the ocean off the South Pacific. Back in 2022, biologists were mechanically collecting from the ocean floor in a deep sea area near the Johnson Atoll. They brought up a Megalodon shark tooth that had lain in place 10,000 feet down. It still had the serrations on the ridges! Cryptozoologists might hope that this means the Megalodon is not extinct. But the fossil was 3.5-million-years old and encrusted with iron and manganese minerals because it had not been disturbed and eroded. This is the first time such a tooth was found in situ. Shark skeletons, being made of cartilage, do not commonly fossilize. But we have a lot of their shed teeth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2-rSMJ_JRs

Bad news for G. blacki

Another story of interest to cryptozoology fans is the news that we now have more detailed information about when everyone’s favorite candidate for a Bigfoot ancestor, Gigantopithecus blacki, went extinct. Unfortunately, it died out over 200,000 years ago in China. No chance that it made it to North America. Researchers suspect populations declined due to changing environment and food sources, which made it difficult for such a huge ape to adapt.

Hunter fixes an unfortunate incident with a pine marten

A trapper in Minnesota inadvertently caught a pine marten out of season in a snare trap designed to kill small animals instantly. He immediately reported the incident by phone to wildlife officials, as he was supposed to do. Except, while on the phone after releasing the animal, he noticed it twitch. He resuscitated the animal by giving it mouth-to-mouth! (Not recommended for many and various reasons.) The animals then ran away, but not before lunging aggressively toward the man. Pine martens are pretty nasty critters. But all ends well.

Don’t elect idiots

Now, a story about just one of many ignorant lawmakers proposing dumb laws. A Kentucky state senator proposed a bill to decriminalize killing of native hawks. Why? Because hawks kill chickens and one got his cat. Senator Boswell seems oblivious to the fact that domestic cats, which are not native, kill so many songbirds that they are a threat to biodiversity. This guy never consulted biologists and did no due diligence in crafting the bill, which, hopefully, will die. He’s also being publically embarrassed by misidentifying European Starlings as hawks. Yeah. This guy can go pound sand.

Better wear a hat in Australia

In other dangerous bird news, an 8 yr old did a survey of magpie attacks in Australia suggests that the birds are more likely to attack bald men.

If you have interesting news links, drop me a message at [email protected]. Follow on Mastodon!

#Bigfoot #birds #cryptids #Cryptozoology #nature #StrangeTimes #WeeklyWeirdNews #wildlife

https://sharonahill.com/?p=8274