2013-05-04 - Fort Myers Beach, FL - Sphere

15 orange lights observed traveling near Ft. Myers Beach, Fl.

It was Friday, May 4th at approx. 9:05 P.M. Gf and I were walking north on Ft. Myers Beach, FL. There were no other persons present. We both observed at approximately the same time orange lights on the horizon. We were near the Neptune Inn when we saw the first lights. We observed them approaching. They were approaching from a North-northwest direction. They were bright orange, like a street lamp one would see from a distance of a mile away or so. We saw three at first. I thought they may have been several planes on approach to Regional Southwest Airport (RSW), as we had seen several commercial jets fly over us on the way to landing at RSW. The lights were not in a line, but they were flying in a South-southeast direction approaching. They varied in height between themselves by 500 - 1000 feet between the 3 of them as they approached. Standing on the beach they appeared to be on the horizon just to the left of the last light on a building on the beach, an! d moving towards us from the North-northwest. The light would have been between St. James City, on Pine Island and Pelican/Cape Coral cities. Traveling over the Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge which is several miles to our North-northwest. I am guessing, but they appeared to be traveling several hundred miles per hour. I had observed several jets inbound to South West Florida Airport earlier in the evening as they were making their final approach, pass over where I was at. Those jets travel at 200 mph on approach? These objects were moving at least 2-3X faster than the inbound jets were. The three traveled towards us, but not directly at us. On their current path of travel they would pass us out over the ocean on our left. As they neared the north end of Ft. Myers Beach island, the objects appeared to change direction. The objects turned in a southwesterly direction. The objects were flying well above the clouds. Perhaps at 2,500-4,000 feet. I am guessing the clouds ! were 1,500 feet ? that night. I have looked but cannot find th! at infor mation. Clouds were broken and not very large. We watched the objects as the traveled away and appear to disappear above the clouds. At no time did we observe the lights change to the standard red and white flashing strobe lights indicating a plane. We wondered what we have just seen, when 3 more lights appeared. They traveled in the same previously described manner. However the last light appeared to higher and it turned in a more westerly manner. We watched what appeared a commercial jet flight passing overhead, flying in a west northwesterly direction as we observed these lights The commercial jet appeared to be at 35,000 feet or so. These objects were well below the jet. In the approximate time of 10 minutes, we observed 15 of these orange lights approach in the same way as described, turn and head out over the Gulf of Mexico. Two of the lights traveled in a West-southwest direction. Those two appeared to be higher than the rest as they turned. All of the others traveled! in the south-southwest direction. The lights came in 3, 3 again, then 4, then 2, then 3 again. Just as one group disappeared out over the gulf, more would appear on the horizon. I live 2 miles from a large commercial airport in Illinois. I see and hear jets, and propeller driven commercial and private aircraft everyday and night. I watch them on approach from 10 - 15 miles away. These lights did not appear to be known aircraft. They made no sound. I saw no standard red/white, white strobe lights. I could not really tell shape. Perhaps round. Size ? 30 feet, I'm guessing on the first light. I got a good look at it before it disappeared over clouds. All of the lights to me had like a halo type effect in appearance. I guess luminescent would be a good word. I am am guessing its size in comparison to commercial jets that flew over us 1 1/2 hours earlier at a similar height. I tried to take cell phone photos. Only one shows two orange lights. Nothing definitive. I didn't have! phone set to "night mode"... nuts. I deleted the ph! oto as Y ou couldn't observe anything of value. What were they ? I do not know. I reported this to MUFON almost 2 years ago. I didn't know you existed..