2012-01-14 - Laguna Niguel, CA - Circle

Bright object / orb performs aerial gymnastics over pacific ocean before performing disappearing act into the water close to coast.

At ~1750 hours on 01/14/12, I was looking due south out toward the ocean and saw a bright light / orb out over the horizon at approximately ten degrees elevation. It was roughly similar in brightness and size as the planet Venus appeared at that time. Visibility was good as I could see San Clemente island and the sun had recently set.

The object was moving at significant speed from left to right and with a motion like a gentle sine wave for what I'd estimate was several hundred miles. It abruptly corkscrewed downward toward the point at which the water met the horizon and appeared to skate across the top of the water still out near the horizon. It then began to move toward my location/the coast "skating" across the top of the water with the same gentle sine wave motion only back and forth laterally now rather than vertically as before.

The orb appeared to get very close to the beach and then turned around and headed back out toward the horizon and began to gain altitude. It returned to something near its original altitude and near where I first observed it out over the horizon. It again executed a helical / corkscrew turn down to the water and approached the coast again where it appeared to vanish into the ocean approximately one mile or less offshore.

The duration of the entire event was approximately one minute and was viewed by myself and one witness standing next to me. I have been a resident of Southern California my entire life and am quite familiar with the view over the ocean during the day and at night, local military bases, airports, etc. I have never seen anything remotely resembling this in my life except for what I've seen on "UFO" specials on the television. The object / craft appeared to move as though it was under intelligent control and exhibited flight characteristics unlike any craft I've ever seen or heard of.