The “Black Manta” of Tokyo Bay: Robotic Observatory Captures a Bizarre, Living UFO

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In the skies above Tokyo Bay, a robotic observatory designed to hunt for anomalies has captured something that blurs the line between machine and animal, UFO and cryptid. On two separate occasions in 2016, the automated system recorded a bizarre, diamond-shaped object strongly resembling a giant manta ray soaring through the sky. This is the incredible, documented case of the “Black Manta” UFO.

A Biological Anomaly in the Sky

The first sighting occurred on April 17, 2016, at 2:11 PM. The footage was captured by SID-1 (Space Intrusion Detection System-1), an automated platform from Japan’s Space Phenomena Observatory Center (SPOC). The image is stunning: a jet-black, diamond-shaped object, complete with a distinct “tail,” hanging in the sky.

The resemblance to a manta ray is undeniable. However, several key factors immediately rule out a biological explanation. While manta rays are known to breach the ocean’s surface, they only reach heights of a few meters. This object was photographed at high altitude. Furthermore, a dimensional analysis of the object revealed a width-to-length ratio of approximately 1:1 (excluding the tail), whereas a real manta ray’s wingspan is about 2.2 times its body length. This was not an animal.

So what was it? Analysis confirmed it was not a bird, insect, balloon, or any known aircraft, including drones or advanced military planes like the rumored “Astra” hypersonic jet. Its shape was simply too unique.

Vanishing in an Instant: Evidence of Extreme Speed or Teleportation?

What makes this case truly extraordinary is that the object was recorded in only a single frame of the video. The frames immediately before and after show nothing but empty sky.

For comparison, a conventional helicopter recorded by the same system is visible in every single frame, its flight path clearly tracked. For the Black Manta to appear and disappear within the fraction of a second between frames, it must have been traveling at an incredible velocity, or it may have simply teleported into and out of our observable space.

The object’s color is also a mystery. Despite the sun’s position, which should have illuminated its underside with reflected light from the ocean, the craft remained unnaturally, completely black.

It’s Back: The White Manta Appears a Month Later

Just as researchers were grappling with the analysis, it happened again. A month later, on May 18, 2016, SID-1 captured another, strikingly similar object. This time, it was milky-white, but its diamond shape and proportions were nearly identical to the Black Manta.

Once again, analysis ruled out all conventional explanations. It was not a reflection or a lens flare, as confirmed by checking images from other days at the same time. It was a solid, structured object.

The repeated appearance of such a uniquely shaped craft within a short period is highly significant. The conclusion reached by SPOC researchers is as bizarre as the object itself: the skies over Tokyo were visited by a genuine, manta-ray-shaped UFO. Whether it’s a new form of drone, a biological-mechanical hybrid, or something entirely alien, the “Manta Ray UFO” remains one of the most compelling and visually stunning cases ever documented, a silent, graceful enigma soaring where it shouldn’t be.

文＝Hiroshi Kitajima

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